Hiro Complex
by Wolfwind97
Summary: When Hiro is arrested, he has two choices: go to a juvenile detention center or live with his older brother, Tadashi. Once Hiro moves in with the older Hamada and his family, Tadashi becomes determined to uncover everything his brother is hiding. However, Tadashi didn't expect his younger brother to have so many people after his blood and wonders how bot-fighting has scarred him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thought of this idea when listening to "On Top of the World" by Greek Fire, amazing song by the way. Anyway, this is my first BH6 fic, so I hope you enjoy it! There will be some differences from the movie considering it is an Alternate Universe, but there may be a few movie references. Also, this story will be a bit slow paced at first, but it will get better.**

Policemen constantly walked by the cell and the only person inside watched, waiting to be released. He sat on the floor with his back against the wall, cursing the police for taking the money he earned in the bot-fight. According to the chief, having money from a bot-fight was considered 'gambling', which the temporary prisoner thought was crap. Suddenly, the cell door opened and a woman walked in, rambling something about being scared, stress-eating, and having gray hairs before she was forty. The teen was released from the cell and was forced to go into the conference room to meet the chief.

The chief of police scanned some papers, "You've been arrested twenty-three times for bot-fighting, kid. If you were an adult, you would be in here for at least a year." He looked at the woman, "There's only two choices left in this situation. Either send him to a juvenile detention center or to a relative away from San Fransokyo."

"Would thirty-five minutes from San Fransokyo work?" The woman asked.

The teen rose to his feet, "No way. I'm _not_ going."

* * *

Hiro Hamada sat in a moving taxi, a duffel bag at his feet that held only clothes, hygiene materials, and his cell phone. He looked out the window at the buildings they passed, already dreading when the taxi would reach its destination in just a few minutes. Two nights ago, sixteen-year-old Hiro was faced with two options: go to a juvenile detention center or stay with his twenty-seven-year-old brother, Tadashi. Of course, Hiro chose to stay with his brother in order to keep some freedom, even though the two hadn't spoke in over a year. Tadashi, a college graduate, was adored by everybody. As for Hiro, he was the black sheep wherever he went. Until he began bot fighting.

He had taken down several so-called 'experts' with what he called megabot, a small robot with deadly skills. Even though bot fighting isn't illegal, people break the law by betting on the battles. Hiro came out with a lot of money every time, until he got caught along with the other bot fighters. This small occurrence forced him to move to Tadashi's house.

The taxi pulled up in front of the house and Hiro handed the driver the money required. Then, he grabbed his bag, stepped out the taxi, and watched it leave him behind. Hiro turned to look at the house and saw it was a two-story with a small yard. The front door opened and Tadashi stepped through it. "Hey, Hiro. Come on inside, it's about ready to rain." Hiro remained silent as he walked toward the house that was going to be his temporary home.

Tadashi held the door open until his younger brother entered the house. "You made it just in time. Honey Lemon is almost finished cooking."

Hiro nodded and held his duffel bag up a bit, "Where can I put this?"

"Your room is upstairs, three doors down on the left." Tadashi stated and Hiro began to walk up the stairs to the guest bedroom. Honey Lemon suddenly appeared from the kitchen and stood beside her husband.

"Are you sure about this, Tadashi? What if he causes problems here, too?"

"I'll take care of it if he does." Tadashi sighed, "I couldn't just let him go to juvie. What kind of brother would I be if I let that happen?"

Honey Lemon nodded, understanding. "Okay, Tadashi. I trust you."

He hugged her, "That's all I'm asking you to do."

She let go of him after a few seconds, "Dinner is ready."

Hiro sat at the kitchen table with a bowl of chicken alfredo in front of him. Even though he didn't really care for the stuff, he wasn't going to hurt Honey Lemon's feelings, so he choked it down the best he could. Honey Lemon tried to start a conversation with Hiro, but he only replied with a sentence. Eventually, the woman quit trying and just ate the food. Across from Hiro, Tadashi's six-year-old daughter, Sophie, studied her uncle. She had rarely been around him and didn't know anything about him other than he never looked happy. Tadashi only wondered where his brother had gone. The teen sitting beside him wasn't the Hiro he knew.

After a silent dinner, Tadashi began to watch a movie with his wife and daughter. Even though he had invited Hiro to join them, the teen declined, saying he was going to sleep. After Hiro left, Sophie looked at her father. "Daddy, why is he staying here?"

"Well, he needed a place to stay for a little while." Tadashi answered.

"Why?" She asked.

Tadashi thought for a moment, "He just needed to be somewhere different."

She nodded, "Does he hate us?"

"No, Sophie. He doesn't hate us, he just hates the situation he's in." Tadashi stood up, wrapped an arm around his daughter's waist, and flipped her upside down, spinning as he did. She laughed and, for a brief moment, Tadashi remembered doing the same thing to Hiro years ago. He gently placed Sophie on the couch and knelt in front of her, "Just give him some time. I'm sure he'll come around." _Hopefully._

Hiro heard the conversation and snorted quietly. "As if." Then, he went to the guest bedroom and threw himself on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He _really _didn't want to be here and Tadashi knew that, so why did he say that to Sophie? _Does Tadashi think he can change me? Idiot... _The teen turned over on his side and closed his eyes. _You don't know anything about me, Tadashi. I'm not the person I used to be. A single year has turned me into the person I am now. _Before he knew it, he was asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Hiro woke up to a knock on his door and Honey Lemon opened the door. "We're going out today. Tadashi said to get in the shower and come downstairs."

Hiro groaned, but sat up, rubbing his eyes. Without replying to the woman, Hiro retrieved his duffel bag, grabbed a new pair of clothes, and went to the shower. After he got out, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Scars covered his chest and back, but Hiro was used to them by now. After all, they would never go away. He knew first-hand what happens when a bot-fight goes wrong and you can't escape, he had the evidence. Nobody knew about them and Hiro intended to keep it that way.

He dressed and left the bathroom, going downstairs to the others. Tadashi was putting on his shoes, a leash in his hand, while Honey Lemon grabbed her purse from the counter. Hiro put on his shoes and waited for the family to get ready to leave. Tadashi opened the door and went outside, so Hiro decided to follow him out. Tadashi walked around the house and Hiro just stood in the front yard, looking in the direction of his former home, wishing he could go back. A loud bark startled Hiro and the teen whirled around to see his brother with a German Shepard on a leash.

The German Shepard began wagging its tail as it strained against the leash to get to Hiro. Tadashi simply dropped the leash and the dog ran to Hiro and jumped, knocking the teen to the ground as the dog continued to jump around him. Honey Lemon and Sophie walked out the door and saw what was going on. "He likes you." Sophie said, laughing at the sight of Hiro trying to get to his feet. However, the dog kept knocking him back down.

Hiro tried to get up again and run before the dog knocked him down again, but failed. Instead, Hiro just laid down on his back. "Tadashi, get your dog."

"I think I'll let you deal with him." The older Hamada stated humorously.

Hiro glared at his brother and the German Shepard chose that moment to lick the side of Hiro's face. "Gross! " Hiro yelled as he wiped his face with his shirt sleeve, making the family laugh. Tadashi eventually called off the dog and Hiro rose to his feet, trying to wipe his face and get dirt off his clothes at the same time. "Glad I could provide entertainment." Hiro stated sarcastically.

Tadashi grabbed the leash once again and they began to walk down the street. Hiro hung back a little, looking at all the buildings they passed in an attempt to become familiar with the area. Well, more familiar with the area, since he had been here once before. Hiro shuddered at the thought, not wanting to remember what happened the night he came through here. Suddenly, Hiro stopped in his tracks as he noticed some people crowded around an alley, smoking. Hiro rushed toward the others in an attempt to hide, but the men had already seen him and began laughing.

Dread made Hiro's stomach turn. _Not now. I thought they were still in jail! They won't do anything in broad daylight, will they? _Hiro's questioned was answered when the men began to follow them. _Just great... _Hiro thought sarcastically and looked at Tadashi and his family, walking along as if nothing was happening. _I don't want to see them get hurt. What can I do? Should I tell Tadashi we're being followed? Should I just tell him everything now and get it over with? _Hiro pondered on the thought. _No, he'll become a target, too. I can't drag him into this. Are they still following us? _The teen turned around and saw the men were no longer behind them and sighed in relief. They were safe for now.

"Mommy, can we get some ice cream?" Sophie asked, pointing at an ice cream shop.

Honey Lemon nodded. "We can't eat inside because we have Danny with us."

Hiro listened to the conversation. _So that's the name of the evil dog. _The teen looked around and noticed those guys again. _Damn, they're persistent. I have to keep my eyes on them. _"I'll stay out here with Danny while you guys go on in."

Tadashi looked at his younger brother, wondering where his kindness was coming from. "You sure?"

"Just go before I change my mind." Hiro muttered, embarrassed by the attention as he took the dog leash from Tadashi. The family went inside, leaving Hiro outside, his only weapon being a dog that loved practically everyone.

Meanwhile, Honey Lemon and Sophie looked at the different flavors of ice cream and toppings. Tadashi watched Hiro through the window, knowing what was happening, but not quite understanding it. He walked to his wife and daughter, "Honey, can I talk to you a minute?"

Honey Lemon noticed her husband's different tone of voice and immediately grew weary. She turned to Sophie, "Sweetie, you keep looking while your daddy and I talk. Okay?"

Sophie nodded and Honey Lemon followed Tadashi to an empty area of the room. "I didn't want to alarm you, but we're being followed."

"What do you mean 'followed'?" Honey Lemon questioned, not understanding completely. "Why would we be followed?"

Tadashi turned to look back at his brother, who stood outside with the dog, staring at something. "I don't know why, but it has something to do with my brother. He's watching them now and he's worried, I can tell."

"Shouldn't we bring him in here and call the police? Even with Danny, I'm sure the manager would understand." Honey Lemon tried to think of a safe solution.

Tadashi shook his head, "Let's see what happens. I just wanted to warn you so you wouldn't freak out if anything happened. Just be on guard. I won't let anything happen to you guys, I promise." Honey Lemon hugged him before going back to her daughter. Tadashi joined them, but he kept his eyes on Hiro the entire time.

Hiro stared at the men as they stood down the street, watching him. Sensing Hiro's fear, Danny began whimpering and looking around for the source of the human's fear. Finally, the dog found the men and began growling threateningly. Hiro stood closer to the dog's side, petting its soft fur, "It's okay, boy."

The ice cream shop door opened and Tadashi, Honey Lemon, and Sophie stepped outside. Hiro turned to face them and an ice cream cone was nearly shoved into his face. "You remembered?"

Tadashi smiled, nodding. "Vanilla ice cream, two scoops, with gummy bears in the center and on top. Of course." As Hiro took the ice cream, Tadashi glanced down the street at the men. "Anyway, I think it's about time to go home."

Hiro's mind raced. _If we go back home, that means turning around and heading toward my enemies! But if keep going and they continue to follow us, it'll be the same thing. What do I do? _

Tadashi saw his brother's panic, but decided to not do anything about it right now. The more oblivious their stalkers were, the better. _Breathe, Hiro. Don't have a panic attack on me right now. We don't have time for that. Just breathe. _Tadashi watched as his brother inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, calming his heartbeat with a few breaths. Honey Lemon grabbed her daughter's hand as they began to walk toward the people following them. Hiro tried to focus on staying calm, but memories flashed in his mind, threatening to break any control he had. He tightened his grip on the leash as Danny walked in front of them, trying to shield his family and newfound family member from the threat.

They were only ten feet away now and Hiro began to see everything in slow motion as he waited for an attack. _Will they just shoot us down? Stab us? Why can't we just run from them? _Hiro's instincts told him to run and put as much distance between him and the threat as he could, but he didn't. Instead, he walked closer and closer. Five feet... two... Danny began to growl and glare at the men. Before he knew it, they were walking past them. Hiro's body grew tense, ready for the men to attack, but they never did. After a few minutes of walking, Hiro looked back and saw they were no longer being followed. The streets were empty.

He sighed in relief and began to eat the ice cream cone in his hand to distract himself. Honey Lemon looked at Tadashi, concerned, but his smile reassured her. Sophie never noticed the tension as she happily walked around with ice cream on her face. Tadashi never let his guard down until they made it home and he even let Danny in the house to keep their pursuers from recognizing him if they had actually followed them.

Hiro immediately went upstairs to the guest bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind him. Honey Lemon gestured toward Hiro's room and Tadashi nodded, walking upstairs to the guest bedroom. He knocked on the door, "Hiro?" He opened the door and saw his brother curled up in the bed.

"What do you want?" He asked, trying to sound annoyed.

Tadashi closed the door and sat next to Hiro. "I want to know what I've missed since I left."

Hiro snorted, "You didn't miss anything."

Tadashi rested a hand on his brother's shoulder and immediately noticed Hiro was trembling. The older Hamada squeezed his younger brother's shoulder in comfort. "I want to know about everything. Including who those people were that followed us today."

Hiro looked at his brother, shocked. "How did you-"

"Come on, Hiro. I'm not as dense as you think." Tadashi stated. "Now, are you going to answer my question?"

The teen turned his back toward his brother, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Hiro, I need to know what these men are capable of so I can-"

"They're pissed at me because I beat them in a bot fight! Happy?" Hiro snapped, his body trembling more than before. "Now leave me alone."

Tadashi sighed, knowing his brother wasn't going to say anything else. "Okay." He stood up and walked toward the door, then turned toward Hiro again. "I won't let them hurt you, Hiro, I promise." With that said, Tadashi left and shut the door behind him.

Hiro laughed sadly. _You idiot, Tadashi. They already have._

* * *

_Hiro ran through the alley, trying to get away from the bot-fighters chasing him. He tripped over a trashcan, but regained his balance quickly and continued running. A gunshot ringed loud in his ears and Hiro immediately fell to the ground, pain shooting through his leg from the bullet wound. Struggling to stand, the teen began to stumble forward, his heart pounding in his chest and his breathing was unsteady. The bot-fighters were getting closer, but Hiro just focused on escaping the alley. He made a left, then a right, until he finally saw an opening that led to crowded streets. Hiro took a step forward, but a hand gripped his shoulder. "Going somewhere?"  
__Another gunshot threatened to burst Hiro's eardrums as the teen looked down at his now blood-covered hoodie. Instinctively, Hiro's trembling hands moved toward the wound as he fell to his knees, a metallic taste filling his mouth. Hiro looked up at the exit to the alley, noticing a familiar figure at the end of it. "Tadashi!" Hiro yelled, blood flying from his mouth. _

_Tadashi's annoyed voice somehow reached Hiro's ears. "What do you want?"_

_"Help me!" Hiro yelled again, trying to stand. "Just help me!"_

_His brother's laugh made Hiro's blood run cold. "Why would I help you? You're an embarrassment to everybody."_

_Shocked, Hiro stared. "Tadashi..."_

_"Our lives will be better if you're dead, so quit fighting already." Tadashi stated and began to walk away._

_"Tadashi... No, please! Don't leave me!" A knife appeared and was pressed against the teen's throat. "They're going to kill me! Tadashi!"_

_He turned around one last time, "I know."_

_Tears streamed down the younger brother's face as the knife was moved from his throat and stabbed into his chest. An agonized scream filled the air as the knife was twisted into his chest, but the scream was eventually muted by the blood rising in his throat. "Ta-Tadashi. P-please." However, Hiro's final words were unheard by the older brother. Tadashi was gone._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, I didn't expect this story to get so much attention! Thanks to everybody who is supporting this story, whether it be in a review or simply favoriting/following. You guys are awesome! Maybe I'll actually reach my goal of a hundred reviews. Also note that Hiro has been bot-fighting since he was fourteen. Also, there was a guest review asking about if there were going to be microbots in the story. Yes. Baymax will be in this as well.**

"What do you want us to do now, Boss?" A man asked, lighting a cigarette as he did.

The other man replied, "We're going to break that kid until he doesn't want to live anymore."

"He's a tough kid, how are we going to break him?" The man questioned.

Laughter filled the room, "I think it's time to show him just how threatening we can be."

* * *

A week had passed since Hiro first arrived at Tadashi and Honey Lemon's home.

A week had passed since Tadashi tried to get his brother to talk about that missing year.

A week had passed since Hiro realized he would never be safe.

Hiro sat on the back porch, watching Sophie playing fetch with Danny. Honey Lemon sat next to him and smiled after hearing her daughter's laughter. The sixteen-year-old teen didn't even glance at his sister-in-law. Instead, his eyes kept darting from side to side, never in the same place for more than a few seconds. _It's not right, seeing a teenager worry about things like this. He's too young. _Honey Lemon thought as she noticed the dark shadows beneath Hiro's eyes from not sleeping in days.

Tadashi told her what Hiro said about the people following them days ago. At first, Honey Lemon wondered if the teen could be lying, but she eventually came to the conclusion that if Hiro was half as smart as Tadashi, anything was possible. Including beating top-rate bot-fighters. Ever since they were followed, Hiro had been more aware of his surroundings, quickly draining him before the day was over. Tadashi and Honey Lemon worried the teen would completely shut down one day or have to be put in a hospital.

"You should take a nap, just looking at you makes me exhausted." Honey Lemon urged, hoping he would agree and get the sleep he needed.

Instead, he shook his head. "I'm not tired."

She sighed, "Hiro, I appreciate you looking out for Sophie, but you need to rest. I can watch her."

"I'm fine." Hiro stated, not looking at Honey Lemon.

The woman decided not to argue with him, knowing it wouldn't work. Instead, she rose to her feet and went to play with Sophie and Danny. Meanwhile, Hiro watched the family, making sure nobody was currently targeting them. He was exhausted mentally and physically, but with recurring nightmares and worry, Hiro found he couldn't sleep. Guilt from making his brother's family a target gnawed at his insides, making him nauseous. Hiro didn't notice Honey Lemon walk into the house nearly fifteen minutes later, which was nearly impossible since she walked right by him. Over an hour later, Sophie's voice finally registered in his brain.

"Hiro, are you okay?" The six-year-old asked, her eyes gleaming in worry.

The teen rubbed his eyes, "Yeah."

"Mommy has dinner ready." Sophie said and grabbed Hiro's wrist, trying to pull him to his feet. The teen rose to his feet and followed Sophie into the house, his vision a little blurry as he slowly walked into the house. He sat down at the table and everybody began eating the food on their plate. Hiro was nauseous to eat, so he drank the glass of Coke in front of him instead. Sophie was talking about a movie she had watched while Hiro tried to focus on what was being said. Eventually, Hiro just zoned out.

A hand on his shoulder snapped the teen to his senses and he looked up to see Tadashi. "You okay, bud?"

Hiro didn't even attempt to protest to Tadashi using the term 'bud'. "M'fine." He rose to his feet and began to go to his room. Hiro's attempt to thank Honey Lemon for the food was mumbled to where nobody could understand. In that moment, his vision began to grow dark and he felt himself falling.

Tadashi caught his falling brother, now passed out in his arms. He whistled in amazement, "What exactly did you put in his drink, Honey?"

She smiled in victory, "Just a strong sleeping pill. He should sleep through the night and most of tomorrow."

"Is Hiro okay?" Sophie asked, confused about what happened.

Honey Lemon smiled, "He's just sleeping, don't worry."

Tadashi picked his brother up bridal-style and carried him to the guest bedroom, gently laying him on the bed before covering him with a blanket. The older Hamada left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him and walking back downstairs to his wife and sat down at the table once again and took a drink of his Coke, stopping once a thought came to him. "Honey, you didn't spike my drink with anything did you?"

The woman smiled, "You'll find out."

* * *

When Hiro woke up, the first thing he noticed was how thirsty he was. A glass of water sat on the nightstand next to his bed and he immediately grabbed it, drinking it more slowly to help clear his head. _I can't believe I fell asleep!_ The teen mentally scolded himself as he took another drink of the water. _Wait, I don't even remember going to sleep._ Confused, Hiro rose to his feet and nearly ran to the door, but his head began to swim and he fell against the door with a loud thump, muttering curses under his breath.

He reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door and stumbling through it. With another curse, he fell against the wall and leaned against it, waiting for the dizziness to vanish. _Why am I like this? What happened? _Hiro tried to think back to what happened yesterday, but everything was a blur. "Ugh, I feel like I've been on a boat in the middle of the ocean during a storm." _Wait a minute... Dizziness, thirst, being weak... I've heard about this before. _

Tadashi appeared at the end of the hallway, "You okay? I thought I-"

"You drugged me!" Hiro accused.

Honey Lemon appeared behind her husband, "Technically, I put a sleeping pill in your drink. That's what you get for refusing to sleep, but I bet you're caught up on it now."

Hiro stared at them, "What day is it?"

Tadashi laughed, "Thursday."

It took a minute for Hiro to understand completely. "I've been asleep for two days?!"

"Yep, welcome to the world of sleep deprivation. Don't do it again." Honey Lemon warned. "Now, go take a shower."

Stunned at Honey Lemon's attitude, Hiro pushed away from the wall and staggered back to his room to get clothes. Then, he slowly made his way to the bathroom, trying to not fall. Tadashi laughed, "I think you gave him too much."

She shrugged, "He deserves it. Besides, it'll wear off eventually."

After leaving the bathroom, Hiro found he still didn't have a sense of balance as he staggered down the hallway. Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly and he looked at the stairs. Slowly, he walked toward the edge and looked down the stairs, wondering if he could even make it down the first two steps without falling. Cursing under his breath, the teen began to turn around and just forget about food when an arm wrapped around his waist and lifted him off the ground. "What are you doing?" Hiro quesitoned, slightly panicked because he couldn't touch the ground.

"I'm not taking you to the hospital because you've fallen down the stairs." His older brother stated as he practically carried the teen down the stairs.

Annoyed, Hiro argued. "I wouldn't fall! Now put me down!"

Suddenly, his feet touched the stairs. "Okay, I'll see you downstairs then." Tadashi began to walk away from his brother, leaving him halfway down the stairway.

Hiro muttered, "Idiot." Then, went to step down onto the next step. However, Hiro's balance and sense of distance were off, making the teen grab on to the railing for support. He tried to step down again, but his foot slipped and he fell sideways on the stairs.

"You were saying?" Tadashi questioned from the bottom of the stairs.

Hiro growled, "Shut up and help me."

"What's the magic word?" His brother teased.

It took Hiro a minute to process what his brother say. "You can't be serious. There's no way I'm begging."

Tadashi shrugged, "Guess you'll be there for a while then."

Hiro tried to get to his feet, stretching his hand out to use the wall for support. However, he missed the wall and fell against it. He stayed there, leaning against the wall, wishing the effects would wear off. After about ten minutes, Hiro's stomach growled again and the teen sighed, whispering under his breath in annoyance. "_Please_ help me get off of these stairs."

Tadashi crossed his arms like a kid, "I didn't quite hear that."

"I'm not saying it again, Tadashi, now help me off these damn stairs!" Hiro protested.

"Language." Tadashi commented, helping his brother to his feet and getting him down the stairs safely and into the kitchen. Hiro sat at the table with a bowl of cereal and Tadashi handed him a Coke, making Hiro glare at him suspiciously. Tadashi laughed, "Too soon?"

"Too soon." Hiro agreed and pushed the Coke away, only focusing on the bowl of Fruit Loops in front of him. After Hiro finished eating, he noticed he felt a little bit better and went to the living room to rest a bit, not wanting to have a repeat of what happened with the stairs. "Is this ever going to wear off?" Hiro complained as he sat on the couch, still feeling the effects from the sleeping pill.

Suddenly, Sophie ran into the living room and began to dig through a cabinet filled with DVD's, then looked shyly at the sixteen-year-old. "Will you watch this with me?"

Hiro looked around, thinking Tadashi or Honey Lemon was around, but realized they weren't and Sophie was talking to him. "Uh, sure." Sophie grinned from ear to ear as she put the DVD in the DVD player and hit play. The six-year-old sat beside Hiro on the couch and the two began to watch How to Train Your Dragon. Immediately, Hiro was focused on the movie, even though he told himself he shouldn't like a kid movie. Halfway through the movie, Hiro felt Sophie lean against his shoulder, asleep. Hiro noticed his eyes were growing heavy, too, but desperately wanted to finish the movie. Eventually, both Sophie and Hiro were asleep and, about thirty minutes later, the movie's end credits appeared on the screen.

Neither one of them noticed the flash of a camera when Honey Lemon took a picture of them asleep.

* * *

_The frigid air made his shirtless body shiver uncontrollably, his teeth unable to chatter due to the rag in his mouth. Hiro struggled to break the ropes binding his ankles and wrists, but didn't have any luck. A door opened with a loud creak and Hiro turned his head in the direction of the noise, unable to see thanks to the blindfold. Somebody stomped on his side, making the teen scream painfully, the sound blocked by the rag. _

_"You're going to die here, kid. We'll make sure of that." A voice teased._

_Fear coursed through Hiro's veins and was soon paralyzed by it. 'Just let me go!' Hiro thought, quietly begging. Suddenly, the rag was removed from his mouth and Hiro spoke, his voice rough and barely above a whisper. "Somebody will find me."_

_The man laughed, "Nobody cares about you! If they did, you would have already been rescued. Think what you want, kid, but it's not going to change reality."_

_"Just let me go!" Hiro yelled as best as he could._

_"Now, where's the fun in that?" The man asked, grabbing a knife from his pocket. _

_Hiro felt the knife touch the skin on his back, "W-what are you doing?"_

_"Making sure you remember us for the rest of your miserable life." The man stated and began to make long cuts down the teen's back. Hiro screamed in agony as he felt the warm blood stream from the cuts and tried to move away from the knife. However, the man simply pinned him down and continued cutting into his skin, deep enough to scar._

Hiro woke with a gasp, not immediately recognizing where he was and began to panic. He jumped to his feet and began to look around, trying to figure out where he was. Then, he sighed, relieved he was still in the living room. "Stupid nightmares." Hiro muttered as he began to walk upstairs. Glancing at a clock, the teen noticed it was two o'clock in the morning, everybody else was already asleep, and the only thing that could be heard was a dog barking.

* * *

Somebody shook Tadashi's shoulder, waking him up instantly. He opened his eyes and sat up a bit, noticing Sophie standing next to the bed with a teddy bear clutched in her arms. "Are you okay?" Tadashi asked, sitting up completely, briefly wondering if his daughter was sleepwalking.

"Danny won't stop barking." Sophie stated.

Tadashi sighed, "Just ignore him, sweetie. He'll quit in a few minutes. It's probably just another dog or a cat."

Sophie shook his head, "There's somebody-"

The sound of glass breaking made Tadashi more alert and Honey Lemon woke up, quickly sitting up. "What was that?"

By that time, Tadashi was already on his feet. "Sophie, stay with your mother. Honey Lemon, lock the door behind me and don't come out until I say so." Another crash followed the sound of breaking glass.

The older Hamada moved through the open bedroom door and shut it, hearing it lock immediately. He slowly moved downstairs in the dark, his eyes adjusting steadily. As soon as he moved toward the living room, he noticed a rock next to the glass on the floor and began to look through the broken window to find the culprit. The floor creaked behind him and Tadashi whirled around, throwing a punch through the air. However, Tadashi pulled back the attack at the last second, recognizing the person in front of him.

"It's me." Hiro stated, one hand raised in an attempt to protect his face while the other held a metal baseball bat.

Tadashi lowered his fist and looked back at the window, "Have you seen anybody?"

Hiro shook his head, "Sorry. It's too dark."

Tadashi looked around the room, "Have you checked inside the house?"

"That's what I was doing when the rock came through the window." Hiro stated.

"I'm going to check outside. Go upstairs to Honey and Sophie. The door is locked but Honey should let you in." Tadashi ordered, already walking toward the front door.

Hiro protested, "What if you get jumped out there? There's no way I'm leaving you."

"If there were more people out there, they wouldn't have just thrown a rock through the window. Don't forget, I have my black belt in karate, so it's not like I'm defenseless. Now, don't argue with me and go upstairs." Tadashi argued, hoping his little brother would obey his orders.

Hiro growled in annoyance and handed Tadashi the baseball bat. "Fine, but take this with you."

A little touched that his brother cared about his safety, Tadashi took it and made sure Hiro was upstairs before going outside. Danny was still barking, a growl rising in his throat as he strained against the chain barking toward down the street. Tadashi knew if the trespasser had already ran off, he would never be able to catch up. Cautiously, Tadashi began to walk around the house, searching for the person terrorizing his family.

Hiro stood in the room with Honey Lemon and Sophie, watching for any movement outside the window. He saw Tadashi walking through the yard, the baseball bat clutched tightly in his hands as he searched. Then, he was out of sight. Almost ten minutes later, there was a knock on the bedroom door and Tadashi's voice could be heard. Hiro unlocked and opened the door, stepping aside to let his brother in the room. Immediately, Tadashi turned the light on.

"I didn't see anyone." Tadashi stated, "The neighbors heard the glass breaking and called the police, so they should be here shortly."

Honey Lemon spoke, "Did anybody see him?"

Sophie looked at her mother, "I did. That's why I came to wake daddy."

"What did they look like?" Tadashi asked.

"I couldn't see their face, I just saw somebody walking through the yard. That's when I came in here." Sophie replied, sitting beside her mother on the bed. "Do you think they will come back?"

Tadashi sighed, "I don't know."

Honey Lemon questioned, "What about the second crash? We heard the window being broken and something else followed that."

"That was me." Hiro informed, hoping to avoid telling them that he tripped over a rug and fell into the wall while going to investigate the noise.

"Are you hurt?" Honey Lemon asked, concerned.

Before Hiro replied, Tadashi interrupted. "Don't lie, Hiro. I know how you are."

Hiro glared, "I'm fine. Just a few bruises, nothing serious."

There was a knock on the door and Tadashi knew the police had arrived. However, what bothered the older Hamada the most was the fact that Hiro was hiding something.

After the police left, unable to do anything other than inspect the damage, Hiro went upstairs to his room, still shaken after everything that happened. The teen stuck his hand in his pocket and grabbed a piece of paper, reading it slowly. He sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. _What do I do now? _Hiro stared at the piece of paper that was tied to the rock, wishing this was all a screwed up nightmare.

On the paper was a message written in messy handwriting. '_This is only the beginning.'_ Hiro crumpled the paper up and threw it across the room, wondering what was going to happen next and if he could somehow prevent it. _I'm not going to let anybody get hurt. Not like I did. I can't let Tadashi and the others get hurt because of something I've done. _Hiro took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. _If it comes down to it, I'll go back to that place. _Just that thought terrified the younger Hamada, but he tried to force the fear away with the understanding that everything that has happened was his fault.

* * *

The Boss smiled at the new arena, pleased with a job well-done. It had taken months to build and a few casualties, but the man knew it would be worth it. The message had been delievered successfully and with the arena finished, the Boss would be able to continue with his plan. "Begin preparing for phase two."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Seriously, you guys are simply amazing! I love you all! I never expected this story to get so much attention, so I'm extremely surprised! I also wanted to let you know that I will most likely add on to my other BH6 story Comatose after I finish with this fic. If you have certain ideas you wish to see in it, just tell me and I'll try to fit it in somewhere. Also, I love reading the opinions you all have on where this story is going to go! Enough rambling, on with the story!**

_Hiro walked down the dark hallway, his eyes straining to see through the veil of darkness that threatened to consume him. He didn't have much time before they found out he had escaped the room. He didn't have much time until he passed out from exhaustion and pain. Every movement was painful thanks to the dried blood and the teen gritted his teeth as the wounds began to reopen, causing more blood to trickle down his shirtless body. _

_A door opened with a loud bang and Hiro's stomach twisted at the realization that his captors knew he was trying to escape. The teen could hear men yelling now and began to move quickly down the hallway. A silhouette passed by the door at the end of the hallway and Hiro stopped as he heard the door being pulled open. Instinctively, Hiro moved into the nearest room and glanced around, looking for somewhere to hide. A locker caught his attention and the teen ran for it, opening the door, relieved it was empty. He squeezed into the small space and shut the door, trying to breathe quietly. _

_Voices grew more clear and the door to the room Hiro was in opened. The teen watched through the small slits in the locker as a man entered the room, fear making him shake slightly. After glancing around the room, the man's eyes lingered on the locker. Hiro stood completely still, hoping the man would turn around and leave the room. 'Just leave. Leave! Get out of here!' Hiro mentally yelled, even though he knew it wouldn't help in this situation. Slowly, the man began to walk toward the locker and didn't stop until he was right in front of it._

_Tears began to form in Hiro's eyes and he found he was too afraid to even think. _

_'This is only the beginning.'_

* * *

Five simple words, twenty-two letters, made Hiro's life more complicated as the days passed. Worry gnawed at his nerves as he wondered what was going to happen next. Hiro took a deep breath, trying to figure out something he could do other than worry. He had to find a way to fix everything without harming those he cared about. However, in order to fix everything, Hiro knew he had to go back to the beginning. Where everything began. Where his fears truly existed.

Just thinking about it made his stomach twist painfully and the scars covering his body ached like fresh wounds. Suddenly, somebody knocked on his door, then opened it. Honey Lemon stood in the doorway, "Tadashi wanted me to ask you if you wanted to go with him to the store."

Hiro thought for a moment, weighing his options. Go to the store or stay and just worry? Mentally, Hiro sighed at the obvious choice. "I'll go."

He followed Honey Lemon downstairs, noticing Tadashi was waiting on him, car keys in his hand. "Ready?" When Hiro nodded, his brother opened the door and the two of them went to the vehicle, got in, and left. There was absolute silence in the car and Hiro began to remember how he used to be so close to his brother, but forced away those memories. They weren't important anymore. The only thing that mattered to Hiro was the present, which was looking pretty cruddy now.

Finally, Tadashi broke the silence. "I'm thinking about visiting Aunt Cass." When Hiro didn't respond, he continued. "She wants to see you, Hiro."

"Why would she want to see me? She's the one who sent me out here in the first place." Hiro muttered.

Tadashi immediately argued, "Right, you were arrested for bot fighting thanks to Aunt Cass. That totally makes sense."

Hiro glared at his brother. "Unbelievable. You ask me to go to the store with you and not even three minutes later you scold me like a parent. Newsflash, genius, you're not my dad." Immediately, Hiro paused, feeling a little guilty at what he said.

The older Hamada was quiet for a few seconds, "You're right. I'm not like dad, but I am your brother." He looked at Hiro for a second, then returned his attention to the road. "Hiro, I don't know what happened after I left, but-"

"I'm not telling you, Tadashi. You should just-"

Tadashi interrupted him. "Will you be quiet for a minute?" Once Hiro stopped protesting, the older brother continued. "I don't know what happened after I left, _but _I do know you're not the same as you used to be."

"So what if I-" Hiro began to talk but Tadashi simply talked louder.

"You began to hate me right after I left and I don't know why. Regardless of what-" Tadashi began to ramble a bit, which Hiro immediately noticed.

The teen grew annoyed, "Just get to the point already!"

Tadashi glanced at his brother, "I'm sorry. Okay?"

Hiro's mind automatically began to work in reverse, trying to figure out what was going on. "Wait, what?" _Why is he apologizing to me? He doesn't even know what he's apologizing for!_

"I'm sorry." Tadashi stated. "I-"

"Look out!" Hiro yelled, causing his brother to quickly turn the steering wheel as a large truck plowed into the vehicle, car parts scattering around the intersection as the two collided.

* * *

Honey Lemon picked up the phone, "Hello?"

_"Is this the Hamada residence?" _The voice asked professionally.

"Yes, it is. Who am I speaking to?" Honey Lemon questioned, confused.

_"Ma'am, you need to come to San Fransokyo Hospital immediately." _The voice stated.

Honey Lemon's heart dropped, "What happened?"

_"There was a car accident and one of the vehicles can be traced back-"_

Honey Lemon hung up the phone, not wanting to hear anymore. Not wanting to ask the question she desperately needed an answer to. Too shocked to really think, she picked up the phone again and called the neighbors. After what felt like a lifetime, Honey Lemon was in the passenger seat of her neighbor's vehicle as Mr. Steinbeck drove her to the hospital, leaving a worried Sophie with Mrs. Steinbeck. Honey Lemon's nerves were shot by the time she made it to the hospital and she found herself jumping out of the vehicle before it even came to a complete stop in front of the Emergency Room.

She ran through the doors and rushed to the front desk. "I got a call saying my family was in a vehicle accident."

"Name?" The receptionist questioned and Honey Lemon told her. The woman began to type something on the computer, stopped to study the information, then pointed to a room behind her. "Room 107." Honey Lemon muttered a quick 'thank you' and made her way to Room 107, not stopping even though she heard arguing.

"Sir, you have to calm down." The nurse ordered, even though it sounded more like a plea than a command.

A familiar voice reached Honey Lemon's ears. "I'll calm down once you let me see my brother."

Honey Lemon walked into the room and saw the nurse trying to keep the patient from even getting out of the bed. "Sir, you're in shock and you have a concussion-"

"I don't care about a concussion or shock! I want to see my brother! Where is he? Is he-" The patient stopped ranting when Honey Lemon walked into the room.

Immediately, tears filled her eyes and she rushed over to her husband's bedside. "Oh my God, are you okay? You had me worried sick! What happened? Wh-"

"Honey, I'm fine. Go check on my brother, they're not telling me anything." Tadahsi stated, worry shining in his eyes.

She knew if Tadashi didn't find somthing out about Hiro, the older Hamada would eventually walk around the entire hospital to find him. "Okay. I'll be back. Just don't cause the nurse any more problems." Honey Lemon left the room and went back to the front desk, specifically asked for Hiro.

"He's in Room 213."

Annoyed she wasn't given this information earlier, Honey Lemon went to Room 213 and noticed the door was open like Tadashi's. She stepped into the room and immediately noticed a tall doctor. "Excuse me?"

The doctor turned around, "I'm Dr. Rosenberg. You must be Honey Lemon."

"Yes." She stated, noticing her brother-in-law was asleep in the hospital bed. "How is he?"

The doctor seemed to have everything memorized. "Cuts, bruises, shock... It could have been a lot worse, but he'll be fine." Honey Lemon sighed in relief, glad both Tadashi and Hiro seemed to be okay. "We had to sedate him, because he wouldn't calm down, but should wake up within the hour. However, there is something that worries me more than anything else."

* * *

Tadashi stared up at the hospital ceiling, wishing he could just get out of the bed and find his brother. Honey Lemon hadn't returned with any news, making the concerned brother insane with worry. Images from the accident flashed through his mind. Hiro's warning, the vehicle slamming into them, the sound of metal against metal, his head hitting the door, then darkness. When Tadashi woke up, he was in an ambulance with paramedics and panicked when he couldn't find his brother.

Honey Lemon walked into the room. Immediately, Tadashi asked, "How is he?"

She sat in the chair beside him, "He's fine, just sedated. They-"

"Sedated?" Confusion crossed his face. "Why did he have to be sedated?"

Honey Lemon crossed her arms, "Apparently, you two are alike in more ways than one. He flipped out when he couldn't find you, just like you did. I spoke to the doctor and he said he wants to keep you both overnight to run a few tests and make sure there isn't internal damage. If everything goes well, you'll be released tomorrow afternoon."

"What about the other people?" Tadashi asked, only realizing he didn't even know if they were alive and well.

Honey Lemon chose her next words carefully. "Tadashi, you and Hiro were the only two involved in the accident."

The older Hamada's headache intensified as he tried to process what his wife just said. "What? There was another vehicle, though. It hit us at the intersection, so how..."

She shrugged, "I don't know, but witnesses say that the only victims were you and Hiro. There wasn't anybody else in the other vehicle and nobody was seen fleeing. It's almost like they vanished."

Meanwhile, in Room 213, the beeping of the heart monitor quickly began to increase as night terrors plagued the sedated patient.

* * *

_'This is only the beginning.'_

_Hiro found himself in a hospital, dressed in a gown that covered him completely. He stepped outside the room he was in and looked down the hallway, not seeing anybody. "Hello?" He asked and began to walk around, searching for anybody. There was nobody in the hospital. The place was abandoned completely, even though the electricity still worked. _

_"Going somewhere?"_

_The teen whirled around and immediately stumbled backward. A man stood in front of him with blood covering his skin and clothes, a knife in one hand and a camcorder in the other. Hiro tried to run, but found he was now chained against a brick wall. in a different room. He pulled at the restraints and felt blood trickle down his arms as they cut into his wrists. "Now, just give me a minute to get everything set up." The man stated as he placed the camcorder on a desk in the room. He hit the record button and walked over to Hiro, who had finally stopped struggling. "I wonder how your family is going to react when they see this video? Will it devastate them or will they be glad you're gone?"_

_Hiro pulled at the restraints again as he attempted to act brave. "Screw you."_

_The man laughed, "I see you realize you're about to die. Isn't it strange how, when someone is close to death, there are instances where that person can completely control their emotions? Sorry, but you're not even close to death." Hiro watched as the man returned to the desk, grabbed a bucket filled with water from behind it, and pulled a wet cloth from the water. "Have you ever heard of waterboarding? It makes the victim experience the sensation of drowning without actually being submerged in water."_

_Unable to resist, Hiro found the cloth was forced over his head, the material immediately forming around his face, making breathing impossible. He fought as hard as he could, even though he knew he was only using more precious oxygen by doing so. His lungs burned and his head began to swim. When the cloth was removed from his head, the teen inhaled deelpy, coughing as oxygen made its way into his burning lungs. Then, the restraints were removed and Hiro fell to the floor, laying there a moment before rising to his hands and knees._

_'You're going to die here, kid. We'll make sure of that.'_

_Looking around, Hiro noticed the man was gone and he was in another room. A wall was filled with that looked like cabinets and, after a close inspection, Hiro realized he was in a morgue. His heart seemed to stop as he stared at a nametag on one of the containers. Written in big letters was 'Hiro Hamada'._

_'Our lives will be better if you're dead, so quit fighting already.'_

_"Tadashi?" Hiro whispered and turned around. His brother stood in front of him, a gun pointed at the teen's chest. _

_"This is all your fault. I should have done this earlier." Tadashi stated and pulled back the gun's hammer, ready to fire._

_Hiro raised his hands, defenseless. "Tadashi, please. I'm sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen, it just did."_

_"It's too late. The damage is already done." Tadashi pulled the trigger and Hiro was thrown backward from the bullet's impact, falling to the floor on his back. However, he never felt the pain, only his blood as it pooled around him._

_'Hiro!'_

_Tadashi stood over him, a disappointed looked etched on his face. Hiro whispered, "Just kill me."_

_"Now, where's the fun in that?" Tadashi questioned and a cruel smile stretched across his face. "You're not going to die until you've felt the pain I've felt." _

_Hiro reached for his brother, "Please, Tadashi. I can't take it anymore." Tears streamed down the teen's face as he closed his eyes, wanting everything to be over. _

_'Hiro, it's okay.'_

_Hiro felt a hand wrap around his and the teen opened his eyes, realizing he was back in the room he had while living with Aunt Cass. Instantly, Hiro realized he was back to the night Tadashi had left. The night that ruined his life forever. However, there was only one difference. Tadashi sat next to his bedside, gripping his hand tightly. "I won't let them hurt you, Hiro. I promise." _

_"Wake up! Hiro, wake up!"_

* * *

Honey Lemon and a few nurses watched as Tadashi tried to wake his younger brother from whatever nightmare he was having. The nurses had already restrained the teen in order to prevent him from hurting himself, then attempted to calm him down. None of their methods was working, so they had went to Honey Lemon for help, thinking she could wake him. However, Tadashi simply pulled the IV from his arm and got out of the hospital bed, heading toward his brother's room while ignoring the protests from his wife and the other nurses.

Tadashi shook his brother's shoulder, "Hiro, it's okay. It's just a nightmare, it's not real." However, Hiro was still trapped inside the nightmare, his heart racing. "Wake up! Hiro, wake up!" Tadashi yelled and slapped his brother across the face.

The teen's eyes flew open and he tried to sit up, but couldn't due to the restraints. Panic formed in his eyes as he began to pull against the restraints, a panic attack immediately setting in. Tadashi placed a hand on his chest, "Hiro, it's okay. You're safe. It was just a nightmare."

He stopped struggling and looked at his brother, "T-this is just a dream. I'm still-"

Tadashi interrupted him, "It's not a dream, Hiro." Immediately, he held up five fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"F-five. How is-"

Tadashi dropped his hand, "In dreams, you have extra fingers. You're not dreaming, Hiro."

However, Hiro never stopped pulling against the restraints. "Untie me." He whispered, fear evident in his voice as his body trembled. Once the restraints were off, Hiro relaxed, and the nurses left after checking his vitals. Honey Lemon rested a hand on Tadashi's shoulder briefly before leaving the room, knowing Tadashi was the only one who would be able to comfort the clearly terrified teen.

Tadashi gently placed a hand on his brother's arm. "Hiro, you have to tell me what's going on. You're not the same person you was when I left and you have nightmares every night." Tadashi noticed Hiro turn his head away, so he tightened his grip on his brother's arm. "_Please_, Hiro."

The teen still shook from the nightmare and he turned his head to face Tadashi again, tears trickling down his face. "I _can't_. Just thinking about it terrifies me. I'm just-" He took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm sorry, I can't." Hiro turned away again, ashamed of the tears he couldn't stop from falling. He hated it when people saw him like this. He hated it when he was weak.

Before he knew it, Tadashi was next to him, an arm wrapped around him protectively. "It's okay. We can figure it out after you get better."

The teen didn't argue with his brother. Instead, he felt the torturous effects of the nightmares slowly leave until he eventually closed his eyes.

For the first time in a year, Hiro wasn't afraid to sleep.

For the first time in a year, Hiro felt safe.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Once again, you guys are simply astonishing! I love you all! I just want to say thanks for supporting me as I write this story! So, I love reading everybody's reactions to what happens in this story. Therefore, be as crazy as you wish. I won't judge you. :p Sorry in advance for any spelling/grammar mistakes, my spell check isn't working and I'm trying to post this before the power goes out due to this snowstorm.**

A door opened silently, allowing the intruders to enter easily. Everything was silent as the four men entered the unlocked home, carrying bags filled with equipment on their shoulders. Masks covered their faces as a precuation in case they were seen. Immediately, the four men seperated, going into different rooms to set up the equipment. Nobody spoke. Instead, they focused on their task while watching the doors and windows to make sure nobody was going to check on the house.

They were finished in twenty minutes and immediately left, shutting the door behind them, thankful it was unlocked when they arrived. To anybody else entering the home, it would look normal. It would seem like nobody had broke in at all, which was the entire point.

Phase two was complete.

One of the men grabbed a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. When the person answered, the man stated, "Ready for phase three."

* * *

"Daddy!" Sophie yelled as she ran through the Steinbeck's yard, hugging him once she reached him. The battered and bruised Tadashi simply lifted his daughter into his arms, hugging her back, thankful the accident wasn't worse than it was. When Tadashi put Sophie back on the ground, she ran to Hiro and hugged him, too. Stunned, Hiro didn't move for a moment, then wrapped his arms around his niece. She let go of him and went back to Tadashi, who was thanking Mr. and Mrs. Steinbeck for everything they done.

Mrs. Steinbeck smiled. "It wasn't a problem. In fact, Sophie can stay anytime she wants. We can make chocolate chip cookies again." She looked at Sophie. "How does that sound?"

The girl smiled, "Great!"

Mrs. Steinbeck looked at Tadashi and Hiro. "How are you two feeling?"

Tadashi replied, "Just cuts and bruises. Nothing major."

"Actually, I'm the one with cuts and bruises. You have cuts, bruises, _and _a slight concussion." Hiro replied, casually, getting back at all the times Tadashi has scolded him for downplaying his injuries. The older Hamada glared and the teen grinned in victory.

Mrs. Steinbeck grew concerned. "You should be resting, Tadashi, not standing out here talking with us."

"I'm fine, Mrs. Steinbeck. Thanks for your concern." Tadashi replied, wishing the topic of the conversation would change.

Mr. Steinbeck agreed with his wife. "She's right, all of you need to get some rest. I know Honey Lemon stayed up all night and Sophie probably didn't sleep well, either. If you need anything, just call."

"Thanks, we will." Honey Lemon stated and they went to the house. As soon as they stepped through the door, they all felt relieved to be home, even Hiro, who quickly reminded himself that this wasn't his 'home'. It was only temporary, so there was no point in getting attatched to it.

Hiro immediately dragged himself upstairs, the cuts and bruises aching with each step. He opened the door to his room and laid down on the bed, his eyes closing instantly as he succumbed to sleep. Tadashi didn't feel like walking upstairs right now, especially with the pounding headache he had. Instead, he chose to lay down on the couch with the television off, hearing Sophie go upstairs to her room. Tadashi closed his eyes and sighed, thankful nobody was seriously injured. He couldn't imagine if his brother had been killed, especially since Tadashi lost his parents the same way.

Somebody sat down beside him, holding his hand, and Tadashi opened his eyes to see his wife. He smiled and tightened his hold on her hand. "You okay?"

"You were the one in a car wreck and you're asking me if I'm okay?" She teased, her voice shaking a little bit from anger or fear, maybe both.

Tadashi kissed her, "I'm sorry I scared you."

Honey Lemon laid down next to her husband and he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm just glad you're okay. I'm glad both of you are okay." Honey Lemon stated, holding onto Tadashi's arm, afraid to let him go. Seconds later, she could hear him snoring softly in her ear. She found comfort in the noise, but that comfort soon disappeared when she remembered the conversation with Dr. Rosenberg. _How can I tell Tadashi?_

* * *

A few days had passed since the accident and everything seemed to go back to normal for the family. Tadashi and Honey Lemon stood in the kitchen, talking to their friends Wasabi, Fred, and Gogo while Hiro played hide-and-seek with Sophie outside. Honey Lemon was trying to finish cooking while talking to her friends at the same time.

"So, you don't know who was in the vehicle?" Wasabi questioned.

Tadashi sighed, "That's the thing. There wasn't anybody in the vehicle, it was empty. Nobody was seen leaving and there was no sign of blood anywhere inside."

"Oh, I know! What if somebody was in the vehicle, but they had some sort of invisibility power or even teleportation or-" Fred continued to ramble on about his ideas on what happened while he twirled a kitchen knife in his hand.

He was interrupted by Gogo. "We're talking about reality, Fred. Not fantasy."

Wasabi thought for a moment, "What if they jumped out before the accident?"

Tadashi shook his head, "All the doors were still shut. In the end, I guess we'll never find out exactly how it happened."

Honey Lemon joined the conversation, "Regardless of how it happened, I'm just glad you and Hiro weren't seriously injured."

"Yeah, but it still leaves you wondering." Wasabi stated. "By the way, why is Hiro living with you anyway? I thought he was staying with your Aunt Cass?"

"He got in trouble with the police for bot-fighting and was given the choice of either coming here or be sent to juvie." Tadashi explained, briefly wondering how his brother enjoyed bot fighting when it was so dangerous. When Tadashi still lived with Aunt Cass, he would have to bail Hiro out of bad bot fighting situations. Briefly, Tadashi wondered how his brother had managed without him.

"Sounds like the kid's good at robotics. Why doesn't he go to SFIT?" Gogo asked.

"He said he doesn't want to be taught something he already knows." Tadashi replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yet, he wastes his talent on bot fighting."

Wasabi reasoned, "Maybe it's just a phase and it will pass. I mean, he hasn't been bot fighting since he came here, right?"

"I hope so. It would make things a lot easier, especially on Aunt Cass when he goes back." Tadashi stated.

"When is he going back?" Fred asked, pouting when Honey Lemon took the knife away from him.

Tadashi shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"He seems a bit... different." Wasabi stated, trying not to sound rude about it.

The older Hamada nodded, "Yeah, he is. Well, was. I'm starting to see some of the old Hiro come back now, but not completely. I don't know what happened after I left, but he's changed. The day after he came here, we all went out for a walk and we were followed.

"Followed?" Wasabi asked, concerned.

Honey Lemon nodded, "Apparently, Hiro made some enemies out of a group of bot fighters. They followed us for a while."

"When I asked him about it, he refused to tell me anything. And, he's been having nightmares nearly every night." Tadashi paused, promising himself that he wouldn't betray Hiro's trust by telling his friends about Hiro's breakdown at the hospital. "It just bothers me. What made him like this?" Honey Lemon looked away for a moment, guilt shining in her eyes as she wondered when she could tell Tadashi. Definitely not here, not now.

_How do I even bring it up? _

Suddenly, Sophie ran into the kitchen, crying. "Something's wrong with Danny."

Immediately, the group followed Sophie outside to the backyard where Hiro held the German Shepard in his arms, whispering words of comfort to the whimpering dog. He looked up as the others approached, "I don't know what's wrong with him. He just started doing this."

The dog whimpered and writhed in pain, his breathing fast and shallow. Tadashi knelt next to the dog and brainstormed what might be wrong with him. Immediately, he came up with an idea, "Fred, go get Baymax. Just bring the portable station out here."

Fred was gone into the house instantly and came out with the portable device not even a minute later. After Tadashi muttered 'ow', Baymax began to inflate, eventually leaving the portable station entirely.

"Hello, I am-"

Baymax was cut off by Tadashi, "Baymax, scan the dog immediately."

Not even two seconds later, Baymax had the animal scanned. "His internal organs are expanding and will eventually begin to rupture. Diagnosis: a toxin has been inserted into his bloodstream."

"Poisoned? How? We would have seen somebody..." Honey Lemon wondered.

Baymax continued, "I suggest immediate medical attention."

Tadashi didn't hesitate. "Honey, go get the car keys." Then, he turned to his friends. "You guys can either leave or stay until we get back."

Wasabi replied, "I'm staying. Sophie needs somebody to stay with her."

"I'll stay." Gogo stated.

"Me, too." Fred replied, the playful expression replaced with a serious mask.

Tadashi smiled, glad to have such great friends. "Thanks, guys." The older Hamada picked Danny up carefully, then began to move toward their rental car. By that time, Honey Lemon already had the keys and opened the back hatch of the SUV. Tadashi gently placed the dog into the back and Hiro crawled in, sitting beside Danny and placing the dog's head in his lap.

"What are you doing? You can't sit back here." Tadashi said, worried what would happen if they were in another wreck and Hiro wasn't in a seat with a seatbelt on.

Hiro argued, "Somebody has to stay back here with him in case something happens. If his internal organs are about to rupture, he doesn't need to move around a lot. Now, hurry up."

For once, Tadashi didn't argue. Instead, he closed the hatch and went to the driver's seat, turned the vehicle on, put it in reverse, backed out of the driveway, then drove down the road to the nearest animal clinic. When they were three minutes away from the clinic, Hiro cried out, making Honey Lemon look back while Tadashi tried to see what happened through the rearview mirror. Danny's teeth were sunk into the teen's shoulder as the dog growled.

Gritting his teeth painfully, Hiro tried to loosen the dog's grip but failed. "Don't pull over, just keep going!" Unable to forcefully remove the dog's teeth from his shoulder, Hiro began to whisper in his ear soothing words, trying to calm the animal down. Another whimper sounded from the dog, but it was soon covered by a deep growl and the dog began to jerk on the teen's shoulder. Hiro began to push the dog away and it let go momentarily, only to quickly fasten his teeth further onto Hiro's shoulder again.

By that time, Tadashi pulled into the animal clinic's parking lot, jumping out the door and going to the rear of the SUV. He opened the hatch and saw Danny still had his teeth clamped into Hiro's shoulder. Honey Lemon went inside to get somebody to help while Tadashi tried to get the dog off his brother. Instead of helping, the dog only buried it's teeth deeper and began to jerk it's head side to side. Immediately, Tadashi backed off, afraid to even touch the dog in case it hurt Hiro more. A minute later, a vet and her assisstant stood beside him, trying to figure out how to help without causing anymore damage.

The vet looked at the dog, then turned to her assisstant, "I need some Methocarbamol." Immediately, the assisstant ran back into the clinic and the vet continued to talk. "I'm going to give him a muscle relaxer, which will weaken his jaws. What happened and what symptoms is he having?"

Tadashi replied, "His internal organs are about to rupture due to poison." Before the vet could ask how Tadahi knew that, the man explained, "I used Baymax to scan him. The robotic personal healthcare assisstant." She nodded and her assisstant brought her a syringe.

Honey Lemon stood beside her husband, "Why is he doing this?" She gestured at Danny, who still had his teeth buried in her brother-in-law's shoulder.

"Probably because of the pain." The vet stated and inserted the needle into the dog's skin, injecting the muscle relaxer into his system. Danny growled and jerked his head a little, making Hiro begin to pale but he didn't move. Not too long after that, Danny released Hiro's shoulder and slumped to the side. By that time, there was a gurney for the dog and Tadashi gently picked the dog up and placed him on it. They wheeled the dog into the clinic as Tadashi and Honey Lemon checked on the teen.

"I'm fine." Hiro stated, his face still pale as he held his shoulder to stop the bleeding.

Tadashi moved beside his brother, reaching for the teen's shoulder to inspect the wound. However, Hiro moved away. "I said I was fine!"

"You're not fine! There's blood pouring out of you shoulder!" Tadashi argued.

Hiro growled, "Your overexaggerating!"

"I am not!" Tadashi stated and reached for his brother's shoulder again, only for his hand to be smacked away. "Hiro." Tadashi growled.

"Tadashi." The teen growled back, using the same tone as his brother.

Honey Lemon interrupted their argument, "Tadashi, let me try." Hiro snorted and Tadashi barely glanced at her. Honey Lemon rested her hand on Tadashi's knee, "Please, Tadashi. Just give me a minute with him. Go find out what's going on with Danny."

Tadashi sighed, "Fine." He got out of the vehicle and went into the clinic, leaving an annoyed Hiro in the vehicle. Honey Lemon sat down in the vehicle next to Hiro.

"I said I'm fine. Besides, what makes you think I'd let you look at the bite if I wouldn't even let my own brother?" Hiro questioned, annoyance and pain fueling his anger.

Honey Lemon paused for a moment, "Because I know about the scars."

Hiro paled even more, "What? What scars?"

"Don't try that with me, Hiro." Honey Lemon remarked. "I know there are scars all over your stomach, back, and chest. The doctor told me after the car accident."

Hiro began to back away, his eyes darting from side to side, as if he was considering jumping from the vehicle and running away.

Honey Lemon continued, "You didn't want anybody to know, but I do, so what's the point of trying to hide them from me anymore?"

Hiro began to breathe fast, on the verge of a panic attack. "Nobody... Nobody can find out. Not Aunt Cass, Tadashi..." He ran his hand through his hair, "I didn't want anybody to..."

"I'm sorry, Hiro." Honey Lemon said, "Look, I'll make you a deal. I won't tell Tadashi about the scars-" Hiro looked up, about ready to interrupt her until Honey Lemon raised her hand, gesturing for him to wait. "Instead, you have to tell him about them."

Hiro shook his head, "No way. No deal. That-"

"Hiro, if you don't agree, I'll tell him. Either you tell him when you're ready or I tell him now. Which one is it?" Honey Lemon bargained.

Hiro looked down, weighing his options. Moments later, he sighed and lifted his head. "Fine. You win. I just... How can I tell him?"

"I don't know." Honey Lemon stated, "I'll leave that up to you to figure out, but do it soon. Now, will you take off your shirt and let me check your shoulder?"

Hiro hesitated, not wanting to remove his shirt. "I... I still don't want you to see them. If you see them, you'll know..." The teen looked down and Honey Lemon could see the tears trickling down his face.

"Hiro, I trust you and it's time for you to start trusting me." Honey Lemon stated and the teen looked up at her, trembling slightly. Then, he began to remove his shirt until it his upper body was completely exposed. Honey Lemon was immediately shocked by the scars that littered his body, but she refused to let anything show on her face. Instead, she tried to focus on the blood trickling from the bite. She used a pack of gauze the assisstant had left with them to stop the bleeding. "Turn around." Hiro hesitated for a moment and Honey Lemon noticed he began to tremble more.

When Hiro turned around, Honey Lemon couldn't help the gasp that escaped her. Red scars covered his back, but what alarmed her the most was the word engraved into his back in large, capital letters: _BROKEN._

Immediately, Honey Lemon realized Hiro was not just viciously attacked. He was tortured. "Hiro, who done this to you?"

"I can't tell you. They'll hurt you, too. I don't want them to come after you. I don't want..." He stopped and Honey Lemon didn't speak anymore. Instead, she only focused on cleaning the wound.

When she finished, she wrapped her arms around her brother-on-law. "I won't tell Tadashi unless I absolutely have to, Hiro. I won't tell anybody. I promise."

* * *

Everything was set up perfectly as the Boss looked at the monitor. He could see everything. He could see the people inside the house, waiting for the others to come home. The Boss smiled, thinking it was almost too easy. Now that the dog was out of the way, things were going be much more simple. They were ready for phase three, they just had to wait for the right time. _And that will be soon. _

* * *

Tadashi, Hiro, and Honey Lemon returned home with heavy hearts. Honey Lemon immediately went inside to the others and Hiro sat in the vehicle for a moment, wondering if his brother was still angry with him. "Do you want me to help?"

Tadashi shook his head, "No, I've got it." They stepped out of the vehicle and Tadashi watched as his brother went inside before opening the back hatch. He looked at the covered form lying there, unmoving, and pushed away the sadness lingering in his heart. Tadashi picked up Danny's motionless body and carried it out back, gently setting it on the ground before going to the small shed. He opened the door and grabbed a pair of gloves and a shovel before returning to the backyard. Immediately, he began digging the grave. The others had came out and offerred to help, but Tadashi denied their offers. He wanted to do this on his own. After all, it was his dog.

Over two hours later, Tadashi went inside the house and took a shower. The others had already left and he saw Honey Lemon cradling a sleeping Sophie on the couch. Even after getting Danny to the vet, there was nothing she could do. It was either let him suffer until he died or put him down. Tadashi chose the second option, knowing it was the better one.

_But it still doesn't take away the pain. _

* * *

_Somebody slapped Hiro across the face, making the teen jolt awake. He looked at the man standing in front of him, wishing he would just disappear. "It's time to wake up." The man stated. "We're going to play a little game. It's called 'Seconds'." The man backed away and Hiro notcied four people behind him with bags over their heads and their hands and ankles tied together. When the bags were removed, Hiro's eyes widened in panic._

_"The game is simple." The man explained, "I simply use this knife to either stab them or slit their throat and you count how many seconds it takes them to die. Are you ready?"_

_Hiro whispered, "No...no. Please, don't hurt them!"_

_"I'll start with the older woman." The man stated, walking over to Aunt Cass and ripping the duct tape from her mouth. "Any last words before you die?"_

_Aunt Cass looked at Hiro, "I begged for you to quit bot fighting, but you did anyway. Look where it got us!"_

_"No, Aunt Cass. I'm sorry, please..." Hiro muttered, then looked up at the man. "Don't do this!"_

_The man simply smiled and placed the knife against Aunt Cass' throat, moving his wrist to slice her skin. Blood poured from the wound as she gasped for breath. She fell forward into the puddle of blood forming around her, dead eyes staring into nothingness. Tears fell down Hiro's face and he struggled against the restraints._

_"How many seconds?" The man asked. When Hiro didn't answer, the man spoke. "Let's keep moving then." He went to Honey Lemon and removed the tape from her mouth. "What would you like to say to the boy that put you here?"_

_Honey Lemon glared at him, "You dragged my family into this! It's your fault! You've destroyed my family!" _

_Hiro felt blood trickling from his wrists as the restraints dug into them. "Let them go! They don't have anything to do with this! Just-"_

_The man began to repeatedly stab Honey Lemon and Hiro watched as blood streamed from her mouth. She died on her knees before slumping to the side, her mouth still open from exhaling her dying breath. The man smiled, "How many seconds?"_

_Hiro didn't answer, he couldn't answer. Instead, he stared at the bodies, knowing they were dead because of him. The man moved on to Sophie, who was crying. When the tape was removed from her mouth, she began screaming at him. "You killed mommy! Bring her back! Bring her back!" The man laid the knife against her throat._

_Something snapped inside Hiro and he broke free from the restraints. "Dammit, she's a child!"_

_He threw a punch at the man but others seized him and held him in their strong arms. The man removed the knife from the still crying Sophie's throat, walking over to Hiro. "How many seconds will it take for me to kill you?"_

_"I don't care! You can do whatever you want to me, just let them go!" Hiro yelled, fighting against the people holding him. _

_The man laughed, "I can do whatever I want to you, huh?" Suddenly, the knife was buried into Hiro's stomach and the teen screamed, his eyes closed in blade was twisted from side to side before being pushed down, slicing his stomach open and allowing blood to spill out. "Tell me, how many seconds is it going to take for you to die?" Hiro opened his eyes and noticed Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon standing in front of him. _

_"Thanks for trading us places, foolish boy." Aunt Cass hissed._

_"You're not even worth dying for." Honey Lemon remarked._

_"We don't care about you, Hiro. We never did." Sophie stated._

_Tadashi smiled, "How many seconds will it take for you to get out of our lives?"_

_In unison, they all said, "You're broken." _


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm so glad you guys like this story! Seriously, I thought I wouldn't get anywhere with this, but wow! Plus, I love replying to your reviews! I want to reply to guest reviewers, though, to let you know I appreciate you guys, too! Therefore, it would be simple for me if guests would give themselves a name of some sort so I can identify them. These reviews will be replied to at the end of the chapter. I'll start that next chapter and see how it goes. Anyway, enjoy!**

There was once a time where everything in Hiro Hamada's life was normal. Sure, he graduated high school at a young age, had a complete understanding of robotics, and could easily grasp difficult subjects and concepts. Over a year ago, normality to him was simply happiness, inventing, and enjoying his days with his older brother and Aunt Cass.

Normality was gone and Hiro believed it would never return.

Never again would he feel safe. Never again would he be able to return to the simple, safe life of a teenager. That world was gone and now he has to learn how to live in this evil world he created unintentionally.

Hiro held his cell phone, browsing through the photos he had saved on it. There was a picture of him and Aunt Cass working in the Lucky Cat Cafe, unaware of Tadashi grabbing Hiro's phone and snapping a quick photo. Another one showed Hiro and Tadashi on the SFIT campus, laughing as they walked toward what Hiro called the 'Nerd Lab'. More photos. More memories. The more the teen went through them, the more he realized one thing.

He would never get that life back. It was gone. Shattered. _Broken_.

Hiro threw the phone on the bed, not wanting to see anymore photos of the person he once was and the life he once had. That reality was gone forever, so why waste time looking back on it? Life was not the same anymore. It would never be the same. Everything was constantly changing, but it all went back to that terrifying night. The night that ruined the younger Hamada's life forever. The night that plagued every moment of his life, whether he was asleep or awake. Fear was his reality, one that Hiro wished he could be free from.

He was afraid not only for himself, but the family he had condemned by simply moving into their home. They were now targets thanks to Hiro's bloody past, the past he cannot escape. When they learned Danny had been poisoned, Hiro knew it had to be _them_. Who else would do it? Tadashi had been living here for a while now and knew most of his neighbors and people in the neighborhood. Nobody here would do such a thing.

Everything fell apart at Tadashi's new home thanks to Hiro. Even though the young Hamada knew his brother would never say anything to his face, Hiro knew he had to at least think it. He had every right to think it, because it was true. The fact that Tadashi doesn't yell at him or even kick him out on the streets only made Hiro's guilt increase.

Hiro was lost in thought, so he didn't know Honey Lemon was in the room until she was sitting next to him. "Are you okay?"

_Are you okay? _Hiro mentally laughed. _Let's see... I've been tortured, nearly killed on several occasions, targeted by ruthless people, made the people around me targets... Yeah, everything is just fine. _Hiro didn't answer her, he only continued to look down at the floor, wondering what was going to happen next and if he could do anything about it.

Suddenly, Honey Lemon was on her feet, "Get up and put your shoes on."

Her voice barely registered in his mind, "Why?"

"We're going somewhere, now hurry up." Honey Lemon stated and left the room, turning to see if Hiro had moved yet. He hadn't. Annoyed, Honey Lemon sighed, walked to Hiro, grabbed him by the hood of his hoodie, and dragged him out of the room and downstairs, ignoring his protests. Muttering something under his breath, Hiro pulled his shoes on and followed Honey Lemon out to the rental vehicle, wincing in sadness when he remembered the last time he had been in the vehicle was when they were bringing Danny's body home five days ago.

He sat in the passenger seat, pulling the seat belt across his body and snapping it in place. Honey Lemon done the same before pulling out the driveway and driving downtown. "What about Tadashi and Sophie?"

"I told them we would be gone for a few hours." Honey Lemon explained.

"Why, though?" Hiro asked.

Honey Lemon watched the road carefully, "You'll find out." Annoyed, yet curious, Hiro gave up and began to look out the window. They went through the intersection where he and Tadashi had been in the wreck, making Hiro's body automatically tense as he observed the scene, not finding anything out of the ordinary. Twenty minutes later, they were still in the vehicle and Hiro saw a state park sign. Confused, he glanced over at Honey Lemon for an explanation, but she continued to watch the road. Finally, she parked the vehicle, "Come on, let's go."

She got out of the car and Hiro had no other choice except to follow her. He got out and closed the door, hearing the horn beep when Honey Lemon locked it with the key. Then, she began to walk through a section of the park that didn't have trail signs. "We can't go that way." Hiro stated, stopping in his tracks. "It's not even marked."

Honey Lemon glanced back at him, "You're actually worried about the lack of signs at a state park when you bot fight?"

Hiro crossed his arms, "I don't bot fight anymore. Besides, what if we get lost or something?"

She rolled her eyes, "You can either stay there or come with me."

Hiro weighed the options in his mind. If he stayed, he definitely wouldn't get lost. However, that would also leave Honey Lemon alone and he would feel a little responsible if the crazy woman managed to get lost or hurt. The teen sighed, annoyed, and began to follow her.

Ten minutes later, Honey Lemon stopped in front of a tower with a platform at the top. "It used to be used by the park rangers, but they stopped using it when another one was built that was more efficient." She began to climb up the ladder until she made it to the top. She looked down at Hiro, "Well, are you coming or not?"

Hiro began to climb the ladder, ignoring the dull ache in his shoulder from where Danny bit him and ripped open a part of one of the old scars he had. A minute later, Hiro made it to the top and Honey Lemon motioned for him to sit down next to her, which he did. "Now, are you going to tell me why you brought me out here?"

She ignored his question, "Look around, Hiro. What do you see?"

Confused, Hiro thought about asking her why it mattered, but he stopped himself and began looking around. "I see trees and the sun. Why?"

"Is that all?" Honey Lemon questioned.

"Why does it matter?" Hiro asked, irritated. Honey Lemon only looked at him, as if expecting him to answer her question. "Yes, all I see is a million trees surrounding us and the big ball of fire in the sky is hard to miss."

Honey Lemon looked into the distance, "My father used to bring me out here all the time when I was a child and he would ask me 'what do you see'." She smiled at the memory before continuing. "I said the same thing you did every time. I never understood what he wanted to hear, so I just said the same thing: trees, the sun, and an occasional bird. One day, he wanted me to come out here with him, but I had already made plans to go to the movies with a friend of mine. He didn't come here that day, believing it wouldn't be the same if I wasn't there with him. He died that night after dropping me off at my friend's house in a car accident after having a heart attack."

Hiro didn't know what to say. He couldn't say anything, so he just listened as she continued her story. "I didn't come back to this place for three years, because it only brought back the painful reminder that I could have been here with him that night. Here in his favorite place in the world. When I finally gathered the strength to come here, I finally figured out the correct answer to my father's question." She wiped away the tears in her eyes. "Think about it, Hiro. Forget about all the sadness, fear, pain... Push all that to the side and look around again. What do you see?"

Hiro looked around once again. He felt the breeze gently pass by him, heard birds chirping, felt the sun's rays on his face... "Freedom."

Honey Lemon smiled. "My father was a thoughtful man. He didn't go to college, he worked in a department store, but he was the most intelligent person I know in ways I can't describe. After he died, I was lost. I felt dead inside. When I came up here for the first time in three years, I realized the answer to his question depends on the person and what has happened to them. For me, what I see around me is life and beauty. Maybe it was because I lost my father and just needed a reminder of how beautiful this world is, regardless of all the sadness, pain, and fear."

Hiro looked at Honey Lemon, finally understainding why she brought him out here. He wanted to be free from everything. Free from the fear, pain... all of it. He wanted things to go back to the way they used to be, when he was happy and not a disappointment to everybody. However, it was too late now, he was too far gone to turn back now.

Hiro inhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves. "That night I went bot fighting, I thought it would be the same as any other one. Go, kick some butt, earn money, then leave. I beat the botfighter and he was pissed. Everybody there was." Hiro stopped and looked away from Honey Lemon for a moment, not wanting her to see the pain reflecting in his eyes. "They surrounded me and I offered to return the money if they let me leave, but..." His voice cracked a little and he stopped talking, his head still turned away from Honey Lemon. "They wanted me to pay in blood."

Honey Lemon felt a tear trickle down her own face and she didn't bother to wipe it away. Instead, she moved closer to the trembling boy to comfort him, but he rose to his feet and walked to the tower's railing, gripping the railing tightly with his hands. "I'm tired of having to look over my shoulder, constantly being afraid, and seeing everybody around me get hurt. I'm sick of wondering who will be next. Will it be you, Sophie, Tadashi, Aunt Cass, the Steinbeck's... They already killed Danny, tried to kill me, so who's next? What are they planning? Why can't it all just end?"

Hiro didn't realize he was yelling until he stopped, his throat raw and the song of nature silenced. Tears streamed down his face and the feeling of hopelessness settled on his shoulders, weighing him down. "If I could go back to that night, I would. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have never started botfighting."

Confused, Honey Lemon rose to her feet. "You came to live with us because you were arrested for botfighting, Hiro. Why didn't you stop after everything that happened?"

Hiro explained, his voice hoarse from yelling. "The nightmares kept getting worse and I found botfighting helped with them. When I would get back home, I'd be too exhausted to even dream."

"Now that you're not botfighting, the nightmares have came back." Honey Lemon stated, catching on to the situation.

The teen nodded, "And they're getting worse. Some of them actually happened, some are just a figment of my imagination, others feel so real that I can almost believe it has happened or will happen."

"Why don't you just go to the police? You know their identities, right, so why not turn them in?" Honey Lemon questioned.

Hiro shook his head, "It would be pointless. Without concrete evidence, the police would have to investigate and that would take at least a few weeks. We would be dead before the investigation truly began." The teen sighed in defeat. "I'm not going to let anybody get hurt like I did. I wouldn't wish that upon anybody."

"Not even the ones that tortured you?" Honey Lemon questioned, wondering what kind of person Hiro Hamada truly is.

He stood still for a moment, looking out over the countless trees. Hiro ran the question through his head again and seriously thought about it. How it would feel if his captors were the ones being held captive. How it would feel to see their blood being spilt instead of his. Hearing their cries of pain and heartbreaking pleas. Finally, Hiro came up with an answer. "No. I wouldn't. I don't want to become the monsters they are. I don't want to be anything like them."

Honey Lemon smiled sadly, "Most people would wish it upon them."

Hiro smiled a little, "I'm not most people."

* * *

Tadashi got out of the shower, dressed, and began to walk downstairs to join Sophie, who wanted to play the board game Sorry. Noticing the guest bedroom door was open, he grabbed the doorknob to shut it. Something caught his eyes and Tadashi looked in the room, noticing Hiro's phone was on the bed. Curious, the older Hamada went in the room and picked up the phone, hitting the button on the side to power up the screen. Immediately, he found himself looking at photos that had been taken with the phone's camera.

He began to swipe the screen, going through the photos, telling himself he was not invading his brother's privacy. The photos brought back memories Tadashi had nearly erased from his mind and he continued to go through them until he reached the end of them. The first photo ever taken with the phone. Tadashi smiled at the memory. Hiro had been so excited after getting a cell phone, because he never had one before. Aunt Cass didn't make a lot of money from the Lucky Cat Cafe, but her and Tadashi had managed to save and combine their money to pay for a cell phone. In the photo, they were all in the vehicle. Aunt Cass was in the driver's seat, Tadashi in the passenger's seat, and Hiro was in the back, leaning forward across the console to get them all in a picture. Aunt Cass smiled, not looking at the camera completely because she was watching the road. Tadashi was scolding Hiro for not having his seatbelt on in a moving vehicle. As for Hiro, he ignored Tadashi completely, smiling like everything was perfect.

Tadashi smiled sadly. Everything seemed to be perfect at that time. Where had it gone? Why had it vanished as if it never existed? The older Hamada sighed and placed the phone back where he found it, standing up. A piece of crumpled up paper sat in the corner of the room and the older brother sighed. In some ways, his little brother never grew up. He walked over to the paper and picked it up to throw it away, noticing there was something written on it. Tadashi opened up the paper, read it... and re-read it.

"Hiro... What-" He paused, not knowing how to handle the words written on the paper. _This is only the beginning._ His hands began to shake and Tadashi found himself crumpling the paper up again. "What did you do, Hiro? What are you hiding? Why are they after you?" Fear and rage nearly consumed him as he crumpled the paper up more. Tadashi knew he had to protect his family and he didn't mean just Honey Lemon and Sophie, but Hiro, too. Just like it's a father's job to protect his daughter and a husband's duty to protect his wife, Tadashi had to protect his younger brother.

He planned to do just that.

* * *

_Tadashi walked down the alley, looking around in an attempt to figure out where he was. An agonized scream shattered the silence and made Tadashi's blood run cold. "Hiro..." Immediately, Tadashi began to run down the alley as more pain-filled cries echoed off the walls. "Hiro!" He made a left turn and stopped in his tracks, his heart feeling like it sank into his stomach. _

_Two men held his brother, who had stopped screaming as blood streamed from wound sin his stomach, chest, and sides. Hiro was released and immediately pressed his hands against the deep gash in his stomach, instinctively trying to stop the bleeding. The younger Hamada began to stumble forward, reaching a bloody hand toward his brother, a silent plea for help. Tadashi ran to him, catching Hiro as the teen's kness gave out. "Oh God, Hiro." Tadashi gently cradled his brother's trembling form, noting all the injuries he had, and tried to stop the bleeding from the worst wound in his stomach. Tears of fear and worry streamed down his face, "You're going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of here." _

_He tried to pick his brother up, but stopped when he realized he was only hurting him more. Tadashi looked up at the men, "What did you do to him?" He yelled, "You bastards!"_

_Hiro's voice snapped him out of his rage, "T-da-shi."_

_Tadashi looked at his brother, "Shh. Save your strength. I'm going to find a way to get you out of here, I-"_

_"Too l-late." Blood rose into Hiro's throat, making the teen cough. A painful expression crossed the younger Hamada's face and his body automatically tensed, causing him more pain. "Don't... leave me. P-please." Tears streamed down Hiro's face from pain and the thought of being abandoned._

_Tadashi held him close, "I'm not leaving you, Hiro. I swear, I won't leave you. Just stay awake, okay? Please, just stay awake." Tadashi could hear his brother's breathing begin to slow. "Please, Hiro, don't do this! Please! Stay with me! I've already lost mom and dad! I can't-" He stopped for a moment, his voice cracking from grief and fear. "I can't lose you! Don't you dare die on me, knucklehead! Before you know it, you'll be home. You'll be safe...Just don't..." Tears streamed down Tadashi's face and his body shook with each sob as he held his brother's mangled body in his arms. Tadashi pressed his forehead against Hiro's as he sobbed over his brother's dead body._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: First, if I have a late update, it is most likely due to a power outage and I'll update as soon as I can. These winter storms are terrible! I seriously don't know what to tell you guys other than how awesome you all are! Really, I'm not joking. I really appreciate the support I am receiving for this story and I can't thank you guys enough. Like I said in the previous chapter, guest reviews from the last chapter will be replied to at the end of this chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

Thunder raged outside, waking Hiro from his restless slumber. The teen huffed in annoyance, moved to a more comfortable position, and closed his eyes once again. Another burst of thunder startled him and he knew he might as well get used to it. After all, it was going to storm on and off for the next two days and nights. Suddenly, he heard footsteps walking down the hallway. Hiro immediately sat up, worried that somebody had broken into the house and was kind of glad he hadn't shut the door before going to sleep so he could see who was there. Just as he was about to get up, he saw a familiar figure walk by the door. "Sophie?"

The child returned to the doorway and stood there a moment, "I... I'm scared."

Hiro was confused for a moment, wondering what she could be afraid of. In that instant, the thunder raged loudly, making the child jump frightfully as she clutched a teddy bear against her chest. He nearly smiled, remembering how he used to be afraid of thunder when he was little and would automatically seek Tadashi for comfort. "Come on." Hiro scooted over in the bed and the child immediately dove for the empty spot, burying herself deep in the covers before the thunder crashed again.

With a small smile, Hiro laid on his back and closed his eyes. He felt Sophie curl against his side, the teddy bear between them, already drifting off to sleep. Hiro couldn't help but remember the times he woke his brother during a thunderstorm.

**(Flashback)**

Four-year-old Hiro slept peacefully until a loud noise woke him. Startled, he sat up quickly and looked around the room for his older brother, who still slept peacefully in his bed on the other side of the room. Moments later, another burst of thunder followed by lightning made the house tremble from the force. Instantly, the four-year-old ran to his older brother's side and began shaking his shoulder. "Dashi."

The fifteen-year-old Tadashi woke up, "Hiro? What do you want? Are you okay?"

The thunder crashed again and the four-year-old cringed at the sound. Immediately, Tadashi's older brother intuition kicked in and he moved over a bit to give Hiro room. "Come on, knucklehead."

Hiro laid down next to his older brother, "Love you, Dashi."

Tadashi smiled, "Love you, too, bud."

**(End Flashback)**

Back in reality, sixteen-year-old Hiro smiled. Life was great back then, so simple, fun, safe... The teen was asleep not long after that and nightmares did not plague his sleep anymore that night.

* * *

_Tadashi walked down the hallway, his eyes roaming around for any sign of life. He didn't speak, he was too afraid to. There was something about the way absolute silence made the man more cautious of noise. Even the sound of his own footsteps spooked him in a way that could not be explained. A feeling of dread rested firmly in his gut, threatening to take away any sane thought he had. He barely breathed as he walked down the hallway, wondering if he was truly the only one here._

_However, the constant feeling that somebody was watching him lingered. Somehow, he was not alone in this building, in this hallway. Somebody could see him, even though Tadashi couldn't see them or even hear them. The hair on the back of his neck began to stand up and he was tempted to turn around to see if there was anybody behind him. He didn't. In his mind, he knew if he turned around, he was dead. The only way to survive was to keep moving forward, regardless of what was lurking in the shadows behind him._

_The older Hamada made it to the end of the hallway and found himself in a room. Suddenly, something hissed behind him, "It's coming." The door to the room slammed shut and Tadashi slammed his fists against the door as hard as he could, screaming until his throat became raw. "Let me out of here!" The thick door in front of him refused to budge regardless how hard the man tried to open it. He didn't notice the smoke filling the room until he began coughing. Tadashi turned around and saw a wall was encased in flames, the heat from it making his skin burn. _

_"Help! Somebody!" Tadashi yelled as the flames continued to spread across the room. A coughing fit soon took over and Tadashi found he couldn't yell anymore. 'I have to get out of here!' Tadashi thought and immediately began looking around for another way out. There wasn't anything. He was trapped. The fire began to close in around him slowly, taunting him, prolonging the fear that came with a slow, painful death. His screams went unheard by anybody other than the thing that shut him in the room as the fire crawled up his body._

Tadashi woke up with a gasp, clutching his chest as he fought for breath. Honey Lemon rested a hand on his shoulder, "Tadashi, it was just a nightmare." He sighed in relief, trying to get over the nightmare that felt real. Honey Lemon gently urged, "Now, go back to sleep." She laid down once again and Tadashi looked at the clock to see what time it was before returning to his original place next to her. However, he was unable to go back to sleep because he could still smell the smoke in the air and feel the flames biting through his skin.

Morning came and an exhausted Tadashi gave up on getting any more sleep, rising to his feet, careful to not wake his wife. He rubbed his eyes as he walked down the hallway, glancing in his daughter's room, expecting to see her sleeping form. The father had to look twice in order to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, his daughter was not in her room. Immediately, panic began to form. _Did she sleepwalk? Where is she? Did she fall downstairs? Did she go outside? _He took larger, faster steps, walking down the hallway, looking in each room. Finally, he looked into the guest bedroom and sighed, relieved. Sophie was asleep next to Hiro, cuddled against his side and both of them slept peacefully. Tadashi recalled hearing thunder last night and understood why Sophie was not in her room. He smiled, remembering how Hiro used to do the same to him on stormy nights.

Those memories, the bond he and Hiro had shared, it all confused Tadashi. How could his little brother love him one day and hate him the next? It simply didn't make sense. The older Hamada knew he had to talk to Hiro soon and find out what was going on. What happened to make them targets? What happened after Tadashi left? Those questions never left Tadashi's mind, they followed him like a plague and the nightmares Tadashi had been having were sickening. He began to walk downstairs, lost in thought.

It also didn't help that he knew Honey Lemon was hiding something. The day she took Hiro out for a drive, they were gone for a few hours. The fact that Hiro seemed to be more comfortable around Honey Lemon only made Tadashi more suspicious. If Honey Lemon knew something, why was she hiding it? What did Tadashi miss? The older Hamada thought back, but couldn't remember anything that helped him with the situation. All in all, Hiro had been acting weird since he moved in. Even though Tadashi was determined to find the answers, it all seemed to lead to more questions. The only chance Tadashi had at finding the truth was by going to the source: Hiro.

The phone rang and Tadashi answered it. "Hello?"

_"Tadashi, how are you?" _The voice asked.

"I'm fine, Aunt Cass. What about you? Is the cafe as busy as it used to be or have you ran everybody off?" Tadashi joked as he sat down on the couch with the cordless phone against his ear.

Aunt Cass laughed, _"Business has picked up recently, I'll have you to know." _There was a moment of silence. _"Hiro hasn't given you any problems has he?"_

Tadashi debated whether or not tell her everything that had been happening. After all, she may even have a clue as to what was going on with Hiro. The older brother sighed silently, "No, he hasn't given me any problems. Sophie seems to love him."

_"What's bothering you, Tadashi?" _Aunt Cass questioned, concern in her voice.

Tadashi immediately replied, "Nothing, Aunt Cass. I'm fine."

_"I've known you since you were a kid, Tadashi. That's not going to work." _Aunt Cass stated and Tadashi could imagine her crossing her arms.

What did she want him to say? 'Oh, I'm bothered by everything that's going on and these people threatening my family doesn't help things'? Tadashi chuckled to himself. Right. "I'm fine, Aunt Cass. Promise."

She was not convinced, but she dropped the subject. _"How is Honey Lemon and Sophie doing?"_

"They're fine. They-" Tadashi was cut off by Honey Lemon calling him upstairs. "Hold on a minute, Aunt Cass."

* * *

The rain continued to pour, making the streets abandoned as people stayed indoors. Strong winds made houses creak and old trees fall, their roots ripped from the soil. Debris soared through the air, crashing into anything that was in the way. Sophie watched all the destruction through the window, amazed by the power of the wind. Tadashi and Honey Lemon sat in the living room, watching the news channel for any updates on the weather, only hearing that it was going to get more serious throughout the night. Hiro stayed in his bedroom, listening to the storm.

There was a knock on the door, making Honey Lemon and Tadashi look at each other in confusion. "Who would be out in a storm like this?" Honey Lemon questions, concerned.

Tadashi rose to his feet, walked down the hallway, and cracked open the door. A man stood on the doorstep, his jacket over his head to shield his face from the rain. "Excuse me, sir. May I use your phone to call my wife? I was driving, but had to pull over because I couldn't see where I was going."

Honey Lemon appeared behind Tadashi, "Go ahead and let him in, Tadashi." Then, she turned around and went to the bathroom.

The man stepped into the home once Tadashi opened the door, shutting it behind the man. "Thank you."

Tadashi went to get the cordless phone and Honey Lemon returned with a towel. The man thanked her and dried his clothes the best he could, then stood on the towel to prevent any more water from falling to the floor. Tadashi handed the phone to him and the man dialed a number, listening to it ring a few times. "Hey, sweetie. It's me." He paused for a moment, listening to his wife. "I'm okay. I had to pull over because I couldn't see anything in front of me. I'll be home as soon as I can, I just called so you wouldn't worry." Another pause. "I love you, too. Tell Samuel I'll play video games with him as soon as I get home. Okay, bye." The man hung up the phone and handed it back to Tadashi. "Children always keep you busy."

Honey Lemon nodded, "How old is Samuel?"

"He's eight. What about you two? Do you have any children?" The man asked.

Honey Lemon smiled, "Yes, Sophie is six."

The man laughed, "There's times I wish Samuel was still six. He was easy to keep up with at that age." Then, realization dawned in the man's eyes. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Octavian." Tadashi and Honey Lemon introduced themselves, shaking the man's hand in a greeting.

"You can come into the kitchen if you want. Would you like anything to drink?" Honey Lemon questioned. "We have tea, coffee..."

"Coffee will be great." Octavian stated, followed Honey Lemon into the kitchen, and took a seat at the table. "Have you heard anything else about the weather?"

Tadashi stood in the kitchen doorway for a moment, then moved to sit in one of the chairs. "Only that it's going to get worse throughout the night. They're calling for possible power outages as well."

The man sighed, "Well that's just lovely." Honey Lemon placed a cup of coffee in front of the man before sitting down and he took a sip. "Thank you, it's great." Sophie entered the kitchen and the man took a drink of coffee before speaking. "You must be Sophie. I'm Octavian, it's nice to meet you."

Sophie nodded respectfully, "Nice to meet you, too."

Hiro kept hearing Honey Lemon and Tadashi talking to somebody downstairs, thinking it was perhaps one of their friends. The more Hiro listened, he noticed the man's voice wasn't like Wasabi's or even Fred's. Curious, the teen rose to his feet and walked downstairs.

Octavian continued to talk, "I was doing work for a friend just a few minutes away from here. I thought the storm wouldn't be too bad, but I was so wrong. I was painting the interior of her house, so I knew I had to finish it today or it wouldn't look right. She even t-" He paused for a moment, staring at the doorway, "Well, now, who is this?"

Honey Lemon looked in the doorway and saw Hiro. "He's-"

"Get out..." Hiro stated, making everybody look at him.

"Hiro, that was rude. Apolo-" Honey Lemon stopped, watching as Hiro began to tremble.

Octavian smiled, "Come on, Hiro. What's so wrong with me just having a cup of coffee?"

Hiro felt sick to his stomach and he trembled even more, but tried to keep his voice from shaking. "I said get out!"

Tadashi stared at his brother, "Hiro? What's-" The sound of a gun's hammer being pulled back made Tadashi's heart drop. Octavian sat in the chair casually, a gun in his hand.

"Now, now, Hiro. Where's your manners? I haven't even finished my coffee yet." Octavian laughed, rising to his feet. "If anybody moves, I'll shoot."

"Who are you?" Tadashi growled.

Octavian gestured toward the teen, "Ask him. He knows me well. We had a great relationship before he decided to run away. Have you showed your dear brother what happened to you yet? Oh, that's right, you haven't. We've been watching your every move after all." Octavian chuckled, "Take off your shirt."

Hiro froze. The fear within him continued to grow and the trembling increased. He couldn't even think. It was as if the fear he had was a lock on his body and mind. All he could think about was the pain he suffered and how it was going to happen again.

Octavian levelled the gun at Tadashi's chest, "Do it or I'll shoot him."

The sight of his brother being held at gunpoint made Hiro return to reality. "Okay, just put the gun down. Please." His voice began to shake and Hiro cursed mentally, but he didn't hesitate to remove his shirt, dropping it to the floor. Honey Lemon had tears in her eyes as she held Sophie close to her, praying for a way out of this situation. Tadashi's stomach twisted as he saw the scars that covered his little brother's torso.

"Turn around." Octavian ordered and Hiro obeyed, revealing the message engraved into his back. The teen had his head down, trying to control the fear, trying to not cry in front of this sick, twisted freak. Tadashi's rage made him clench his fists, but he didn't move. He couldn't move as long as the man had the gun pointed at him. Octavian pulled a cell phone from his pocket and began to dial a number. Then, the power went out. Tadashi lunged toward Octavian, grabbing the hand holding the gun, and twisting it to make him drop the weapon.

Tadashi punched him in the face, making the man stumble to the side. Immediately, Honey Lemon grabbed Sophie and ran out the room, pushing Hiro down the hallway as she moved. Figures could be seen walking up the sidewalk through the window, so Honey Lemon pushed Hiro up the stairs, following him. The front door opened and more men surged through the door, most running to the kitchen while the others began to run upstairs.

Honey Lemon locked her bedroom door, before turning to Hiro and Sophie, looking for a way out. She ran over and opened the window, then turned to Hiro. "Listen to me, take Sophie and get out of here. Go to the police and let them handle this. I'll stay here and hold them off to give you two a chance to get away."

Hiro shook his head, "I can't. I won't leave-"

"Hiro, this isn't the time! If we're all caught here, we're dead. If you escape, we'll have a fighting chance. Now, take Sophie with you and stay safe." Honey Lemon saw Hiro begin to protest again. "_Please_, Hiro. She's my daughter." The men could be heard on the second floor, checking the hallway one room at a time.

Tears streamed down the teen's face and he hugged his sister-in-law. "I'll come back for you and Tadashi."

"Just go to the police, Hiro, and keep my daughter safe." Honey Lemon stated tearfully, then pulled away from Hiro. She crouched down in front of Sophie and hugged her tightly before releasing her. "Sweetie, stay with Hiro and do whatever he tells you to do. I love you."

The child began to cry, "I want to stay with you and daddy!" Honey Lemon gently picked her up and handed her to Hiro, who was already waiting on the roof. The men were beating on the door now, trying to break it down. Sophie continued to cry and reach for her mother, but Honey Lemon shut the window and turned toward the door. Hiro walked along the roof, dragging Sophie with him, until he made it to the part away from the street.

Luckily, the roof was sloped enough to where the fall to ground wasn't too high. Hiro held on to the edge of the roof, dangling in the air momentarily before dropping to the ground. He instructed Sophie to do the same. She dangled from the roof, but was too afraid to let go. "It's okay, I'll catch you." Hiro promised over the sound of the fierce wind. Sophie let go and found herself in Hiro's arms, then on her feet. She looked behind Hiro and cried out in fear.

The teen whirled around and was tackled to the ground, a series of punches soon landing on his face, making him taste blood. Hiro fought to throw the guy off, but was unsuccessful as fingers tightened around his throat. Choking, Hiro began to struggle more, but the man used his knees to pin his arms down, rendering him defenseless. Suddenly, the man cried out painfully and his hold on Hiro faltered. Hiro pushed the man away from him, quickly rose to his feet, and kicked him in the head. The man fell to the ground, unconscious, and Hiro saw Sophie drop the shovel she used to hit the man with. Quickly, Hiro picked up the child and began to run into the stormy night, both of their tears mixing with the rain.

Hiro remembered talking to Honey Lemon on the watchtower. He remembered his words to her.

_"I'm tired of having to look over my shoulder, constantly being afraid, and seeing everybody around me get hurt."_

_"I'm not going to let anybody get hurt like I did."_

_"Without concrete evidence, the police would have to investigate and that would take at least a few weeks. We would be dead before the investigation truly began."_

He tightened his hold on Sophie as she cried into his shoulder. Guilt coursed through him knowing that he was the reason all of this happened. It was his fault that this child was seperated from her parents. It was his fault that they were attacked. It was his fault...

_"Hiro, I trust you and it's time for you to start trusting me."_ Honey Lemon's voice echoed in his head.

_"I won't let them hurt you, Hiro, I promise."_ Hiro couldn't block out his brother's voice.

_"Hiro, it's okay. It's just a nightmare, it's not real." _He wished it was all just a nightmare and he would wake up soon, but he knew this was reality.

Hiro continued to run, wondering what he could do. The wind threatened to knock him down, a garbage can lid slammed into him, making him stumble as he felt warm blood trickle down from the cut it left in his leg.

He began to run faster, changing direction slightly, a plan beginning to form in his head. _It's my fault they're in this mess. I'm not going to just leave them. I'm not going to run anymore._

_"I'll come back for you and Tadashi."_ Hiro remembered saying to Honey Lemon.

"I promise." Hiro whispered.

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

KungfuKittyKat: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! If anything, I'll be updating weekly or a few days, unless there's a power outage or family emergency. Don't worry, I'm not going to abandon this story. ;)

fyphoniex: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! :)

narniac4aslan: You're welcome, I'm glad you like this story! Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, Hiro's not as impenetrable as he seemed to be in the first chapter or so. He was finally able to break down after a year, poor guy. As for Tadashi's dream at the end... We shall see. ;)

Aiko: Arigato, Aiko san! :p I'll be updating weekly, maybe even within a few days. I'm glad you like this story and thank you for the support! ;)

Lily: Thanks for the support! Updates will be within a few days or weekly. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: As always, I thank everybody for their support! You have no idea how much it means to me! Once again, guest reviews will be replied to at the end of the chapter. I finally had my dad watch BH6 and couldn't help but laugh at him toward the beginning of the movie.**  
**Dad: Are you crying yet?**  
**Me: Almost. You?**  
**Dad:... No... This is sad! This is a kid movie, why is it this sad?!**  
**Me: It's rated PG... **  
**Dad: I don't care, it's still sad! They better bring him back in the end! **  
**Just thought I'd share that. Anyway, on with the story! **

Hiro had been running for an hour non-stop through the pouring rain, Sophie still in his arms. The child was shaking from the cold rain and a bad cough had already began to affect her breathing, making the teen more determined to get her to safety. Hiro hid in an alley for a moment to catch his breath and his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Throughout the ordeal, the teen had forgot about the device in his pocket. He grabbed the phone and looked at the screen, reading through the message quickly, then shoved it back into his pocket.

"Hiro?" Sophie asked, a coughing fit following almost immediately.

Hiro immediately turned his attention toward her. "Don't worry, Sophie, I'll get you to a safe place soon. It's just a few more miles away."

"I'm scared." Sophie stated weakly and Hiro could feel her warm tears trickling down on his bare shoulder.

Hiro hugged her tightly, "I know. I am, too." That was all the inspiration he needed to leave the alley. His body shook from cold and exhaustion, but he managed to push off the wall he was leaning against and began to run once again. His lungs hurt, each breath felt like he was inhaling fire, a headache made his eyes hurt, and the adrenaline began to fade.

Eventually, Hiro and Sophie made it to their destination and the teen knocked on the door loudly, hoping the sound could be heard over the storm. A light came on and a familiar face appeared only to be etched with concern. The door opened and Hiro walked in, immediately finding comfort in the warm, familiar place.

"Hiro, what-"

The teen interrupted the woman, "I need towels and blankets." Immediately, the woman left the room and reappeared a minute later with several towels and blankets. Hiro sat Sophie down on one of the chairs and grew concerned when she seemed to not even have the strength to sit up. The teen reached for a towel, but the woman was one step ahead of him, trying to wipe away the water and mud from the exhausted child. Then, she carried the child to the couch and placed her on it, a few blankets covering her shivering form. Instantly, the exhaustion overwhelmed Sophie and she was fast asleep.

A semi-dry Hiro leaned against a wall and slowly slid down it until he was sitting on the floor, wrapping a blanket around him in an attempt to get warm. Aunt Cass returned and stared at him for a moment. "Hiro... What happened?"

Trembling, Hiro told her about the men invading Tadashi and Honey Lemon's home. Her eyes grew fearful and Hiro protested what she was clearly thinking. "We can't call the police. They wouldn't find them alive."

"So what do we do?" Aunt Cass wondered, mainly asking herself as she tried to come up with an idea.

Hiro's eyes began to grow heavy and the teen wondered how his body could even think about resting after everything that happened. "I'll think of something."

A few seconds later, Aunt Cass crouched down in front of Hiro. "What happened?"

"I just told you." Hiro stated, exhaustion clouding his mind.

She shook her head, "No, not that. Where did you get those scars? When did you get them? How-"

"Not now, Aunt Cass." His voice was mumbled and the woman had to listen carefully to understand him. "I don't want to repeat the story a million times." Hiro's words were slurred as he began to succumb to the exhaustion, his eyes fluttering closed.

Aunt Cass grabbed her nephew by the shoulder and gently pulled him to his feet, leading him upstairs to his old bedroom. The teen was asleep before he even made it to the bed. Aunt Cass looked at her nephew, a million questions running through her mind, but it all came back to one.

_How did all of this happen?_

The woman covered Hiro with a few blankets, but not before taking note of the wounds, fresh and old, that covered his upper body. A few scars had been ripped open recently, bruises began to form, and the old scars looked to be aggravated. She left the room and went back downstairs to check on Sophie. The small child was still fast asleep on the couch, but her sleep seemed to be filled with nightmares as she whimpered fearfully.

The woman looked at the photos in frames on the wall and began to cry. She wanted to know what was going to happen now. She wanted her family to be together once again. She wanted to know what to do and how to keep her family safe.

She wanted to find out where she failed as a guardian. "I'm sorry." She whispered to her dead sister and brother-in-law. "I'm so sorry."

**(Line Break)**

Hiro woke up, the storm still raging outside. The teen sat up, his body sore from the long run and escape from the house, but he was focused on something else other than the physical pain. He knew he had to get Tadashi and Honey Lemon away from the people that ruined his life. Hiro promised he wouldn't let anybody get hurt, not because of him. He crawled out of bed and noticed he didn't have a shirt on. After grabbing a shirt from the closet and pulling it on, he immediately thought back to what happened last night and became sick to his stomach.

_Aunt Cass saw my scars._

However, the teen shook his head, clearing his mind from any distractions. He realized he would have to tell everybody what happened to him eventually, especially after being attacked last night and running with Sophie for miles. Immediately thinking about the child, Hiro nearly ran downstairs to the living room where Sophie lay on the couch. A blanket covered her body and Hiro noticed a wet cloth was on her forehead. _Fever_, Hiro thought and immediately felt bad for the child. She had been seperated from her mother and father, now she's sick.

"She woke up and called for you not too long ago. Tadashi was right, the kid's grown attached to you." Aunt Cass appeared in the doorway, bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep.

Hiro found he couldn't look his aunt in the eyes, so he just looked down at the ground. "Hey, Aunt Cass." He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for just showing up like that. I didn't know where to go other than here."

"Don't apologize for that! Considering the circumstances, I'm just glad you and Sophie are safe." Aunt Cass stated, then paused. "Hiro, look at me." Slowly, Hiro looked at his aunt, afraid of where the conversation was going. She continued, "I'm not going to ask you about the scars, but you're going to have to tell me eventually."

Hiro nodded, not knowing what to say. "Can you watch Sophie for a while?"

Aunt Cass sighed, "That's what I was afraid of. You're planning something, aren't you?"

The teen looked away, thinking it would be best to not tell his aunt what he had planned to do. "Will you just watch her?"

She stared for a moment, "I can't talk you out of doing whatever you're going to do, can I?" Hiro smiled sheepishly, giving her the answer she already knew. The woman sighed, "Is it crazy or ridiculously dangerous?"

Hiro didn't answer her, instead he began to walk toward the one place that he needed to be. If he wanted to answer her, he would have said borderline insanity. "Tell me when Sophie wakes up." She stopped him with a comforting hug which he returned, wishing all of this hadn't happened. After leaving the room, he pulled his phone from his pocket and read through the messages.

The first was a picture of Tadashi and Honey Lemon, their hands and feet bound and gags in their mouth. Guns were pointed at their heads. A battered Tadashi glared at the camera and Honey Lemon tried to do the same, but the fear could still be seen in her eyes.

The second was a text message. _We will kill them if the police are involved. You have thirty-six hours to trade yourself for them. You know where to find us._

Hiro looked at the message he had received while running away with Sophie, the sight of it sickening. Seven hours had already passed since the text was sent.

Hiro only had twenty-nine hours to rescue his brother and sister-in-law.

Twenty-nine hours to decide who dies.

Immediately, Hiro began to get to work.

**(Line Break)**

Tadashi glared at the men guarding the 'prisoners', inwardly cursing the situation. Honey Lemon sat next to him, her eyes no longer filled with tears as she tried to pull off a strong appearance. The older Hamada was proud of his wife. Even after everything that happened, she never broke down or threw a pity party. Instead, she stayed as strong as she could. A man opened the door and entered the room. Immediately, Tadashi could tell this man was the one running things and he was dangerous.

The man smiled as he stopped in front of Tadashi and Honey Lemon. "Comfortable yet?"

_Yeah, we're just lovely, thank you. _Tadashi had to resist the urge to shake his head in disbelief. He looked behind the man toward the door, but knew there was no chance of escape. After all, his hands and feet were bound and that man was blocking the door.

"Your kid brother isn't as smart as he thinks." The man stated and began to walk around the room. "You see, I underestimated him once, but it won't happen again. You two better hope he shows up within the next twenty-eight hours. Until then..." Three men entered the room and grabbed Tadashi's arms, pulling him to his feet and began to drag him away. Tadashi began to struggle to get free from them, but it was impossible with his hands and feet bound and the thick material was impossible to forcefully break. The last thing Tadashi heard before he was pulled out of the room was Honey Lemon's muffled voice, calling to him.

Tadashi eventually stopped struggling, realizing it was useless and he was only exhausting himself. The men dragged him into a room and the older Hamada noticed the blood stains that covered the floor. Immediately, he began to struggle again, but the material around his hands was soon attached to a chain hanging from the ceiling and his feet could barely touch the floor.

A man smoking a cigarette put the cigarette against Tadashi's neck, making the man clench his teeth as the skin was burned. Then, the cigarette was dropped to the floor and the three men slipped brass knuckles onto their hands. The first strike didn't catch Tadashi by surprise, he knew it was coming. The pain in his side came immediately and grew even worse as more strikes were sent in the same place. Cuts appeared on his body from the brass knuckles breaking the skin and the pain was a constant reminder of what was happening.

One of the men hit the side of Tadashi's face and blood immediately began to soak into the gag in his mouth as a tooth was knocked out. The metallic taste of blood along with the pain began to make the man sick and he closed his eyes in an attempt to block the fact that he was being tortured. After multiple strikes landed in the same place on his side, a loud crack echoed in Tadashi's mind, making him cry out painfully as a rib broke. The same side was hit again and again, eventually rewarding the men with another broken rib. Just as he was about to black out, a bucket of cold water was thrown on him, waking the man instantly.

"You can't go to sleep now. We're just getting started." A man teased and the torture continued.

Tadashi wanted to fight back, but he couldn't. He was defenseless. _How long is this going to go on? How is Honey Lemon? Are they hurting her? They better not touch her, I'll kill them! What about Sophie and Hiro? Did they make it to a safe place okay? I bet Sophie is scared to death right now... _

Another bucket of water was thrown on him, "Don't zone out on us! How pathetic, the kid was more entertaining than you!"

Those words coursed through Tadashi like fire and rage nearly consumed him. _They done this to Hiro... He got those scars from these people! _The older brother could imagine himself breaking free and killing them all with his bare hands and, at that moment, wished it was possible. He remembered seeing his brother's scars and how Hiro refused to let Tadashi check the dog bite on his shoulder. _That's why... But he let Honey Lemon check it, so that must mean she knew about his scars before I did. She took him somewhere not too long after that, could it have been to talk about that? What did he even say?_

Tadashi's thoughts were interrupted as he felt another rib break. _I'm going to kill them!_

**(Line Break)**

Honey Lemon watched the door like a hawk, waiting for them to bring Tadashi back to her.

They never did.

Immediately, she began to think the worst. _Oh God, did they kill him? Please still be alive, Tadashi. Please, you can't leave me like this! _Tears streamed down the young woman's face. _You can't leave... We have to get back to Sophie, Aunt Cass, Hiro, Fred, Wasabi, Gogo... You have to get back to them! _She began to cry even more at her next thought. _Our unborn child can't grow up without a father!_

**(Line Break)**

Wasabi tried to call Tadashi and Honey Lemon, but nobody answered their cell phone or landline. Confused, he called the one person that would know where they were: Aunt Cass. After being around Tadashi so long, Wasabi and the others called the woman Aunt Cass as well. After all, she saw them all as family.

_"Hello?"_ She answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey, Aunt Cass. It's Wasabi. How are you?" The man asked as he sat on the couch.

After a moment, she responded. _"I'm fine. How about you?"_

Wasabi grew concerned, noticing Aunt Cass wasn't the same as she normally way. "Are you okay, Aunt Cass? Is something wrong?"

_"No, nothing is wrong... I'm sorry, Wasabi, I have to go. There's a lot of customers at the cafe right now and I'm extremely busy. I'll have to talk to you later."_ Aunt Cass said, but Wasabi could tell something was wrong.

"Okay, Aunt Cass. Bye." Wasabi stated and ended the call on his cell phone. He looked at it for a moment, thinking about the woman's unusual behavior. Immediately, he grew more concerned. "The cafe isn't open on Sundays... Aunt Cass, what are you hiding? What's going on?" Wasabi picked up his car keys and walked out the door.

**(Line Break)**

Hiro continued working, trying to get everything finished as quickly as he could. He didn't have much longer until the time ran out, he had to work fast to make it as perfect as he could. The teen inspected his work and tried it to see the results, immediately feeling accomplished when it did. He sighed in relief and began to work out a few bugs. Suddenly, the door connecting the garage to the cafe was pulled open and three people barged in, Aunt Cass behind them.

Suddenly, Hiro was grabbed by his shirt collar and lifted off the ground slightly. "Tell us what's going on. Now!" The girl said.

"Gogo, Fred, Wasabi... What-" Hiro began but was interrupted by Gogo tightening her grip on his shirt and pulling him a little closer.

"What happened to Tadashi and Honey Lemon?" Gogo demanded to know.

"How did you guys-" Hiro was once again interrupted.

Wasabi spoke, "They wouldn't answer their phone and I called Aunt Cass to find out something about them, but she said she was busy with the cafe, which isn't open on Sundays, mind you. I drove to their house, saw the mess, and went to the neighbors house, but they were dead."

Fred added, "Then he called us and here we are."

"Now, what happened, Hiro? Tell us!" Gogo let go of Hiro's shirt and took a step back, crossing her arms.

Hiro was shocked about the Steinbeck's and felt responsible for their deaths, but quickly regained his thoughts. _They already know something happened. If I don't tell them, they'll probably stay around the house and I won't be able to do anything... If I tell them, they'll want to help... _The teen sighed, "Okay. I'll tell you." He told them everything that happened and added what the text message said. "I only have eighteen hours to find them now."

"Do you even know where they are?" Wasabi asked.

Hiro nodded, "The same place where it all began. Where I went botfighting over a year ago."

Fred whistled, "If only Baymax was a fighting bot and not a healthcare assisstant."

"You guys have Baymax with you?" Hiro asked.

Wasabi nodded, "I tried to see if he knew what happened, but he didn't. Instead of just leaving him there, I brought him."

"Can you bring him to me? I need him for something." Hiro asked before turning toward his work table.

Fred reappeared a minute later with the device that held the robot and Hiro began to change his plan a little. "I can't talk you guys out of helping, can I?"

"Are you kidding? They're our friends! We're not just going to leave them and let you deal with this alone." Wasabi stated.

Fred agreed, "Kicking some bad guy butt is just what I need! We'll be like superheroes that protects-"

Gogo interrupted Fred, "We're helping, so woman up and tell us what we need to do."

Hiro genuinely smiled for the first time in a long time, "Okay. Here's the plan."

**(Line Break)**

**Guest Reviews:**

KungfuKittyKat: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it! More heart thumping chapters to come. ;)

Guest: _Reviewed on 2/25/15_: Thanks! I hope to see you next chapter!

narniac4aslan: Yeah, it happened pretty fast! Even I wasn't expecting it! Don't worry, you'll see what Tadashi thinks about the scars soon enough. I'm glad you liked Sophie and Hiro's interaction, it's almost like they're brother and sister. You're welcome! Haha, I had to look up DFTBA, so thank you!

fyphoniex: I'm glad you seemed to like it! You seem to know a little bit of where I'm going with this... Are you reading my mind? LOL. Thanks for reviewing and I'll update as soon as I can. ;)

Aiko: Thanks again! I'm glad you like this story! ;)

SuperHiros: Thanks for reviewing! Don't die on me yet, there's still a few more chapters to go. I update within a few days or weekly unless something comes up. ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: *stares at computer screen in jaw-dropping disbelief* 109 reviews... 142 favorites... 181 follows... YOU ALL ARE AWESOME! Really, you guys don't know how much I appreciate you! Oh my gosh! I'm still in shock *takes a deep breath*. I've reached my lifetime goal of 100 reviews, so I really thank you guys for that! Thanks for the endless support! I love you all so much! From the way it's looking, there's only a few more chapters to go, so hopefully it meets your expectations! Anyway, message me or leave a review, I'd love to here about your thoughts and reactions! I hope you enjoy!**

The evil men returned multiple times with various torture techniques ranging from breaking bones to waterboarding. Currently, they carved into Tadashi's skin with knives then pressed salt into the open wounds to add to the pain. Even though he wanted to be strong, Tadashi wanted the pain to end. He wanted to be able to leave with Honey Lemon as if they were never in this situation. Another knife dug into his side as the man cut out a piece of his flesh, digging the knife deeply into the wound. Then came the salt.

It felt worse than a million hornet stings and Tadashi felt like the mind-numbing pain lasted for an eternity. The gag in his mouth blocked out the agonizing screams that broke free from his body, making the man know that there was no chance of anybody finding them. There was no way they were going to be rescued. Eventually, Tadashi's body went limp as he teetered on the verge of consciousness. A few minutes later, the men grew bored from the lack of 'entertaining' reactions and left the room, shutting the door behind them.

Tadashi stared at the blood pooling on the floor, his thoughts scattered in his brain as the red liquid poured from the gashes in his upper torso. _Drip... Drip... Drip... _He watched as little droplets pooled below him, unable to gather the strength to even turn his head away from the disturbing sight. A part of him began to doubt that any of this was real. The pain, the fear, the situation, it all seemed to be a plot to a twisted movie that would end in another hour or the content of a book that would end within a few chapters. However, the part of him that was still sane knew this was his reality and the fact that he was feeling pain meant he was alive. For now, at least. Even as his blood fell to the floor, Tadashi believed the pain, blood, nausea, exhaustion, and everything else was not the worst thing about this situation. No. To him, the worst thing about the torture was the unknown.

He didn't know when they would walk through the door again and continue where they left off. He didn't know if the next beating would result in his death. He didn't know how much he would be able to endure. He didn't know where his family was or if they were okay. He didn't know if somebody would walk through the door in the next few seconds and simply shoot him through the head.

A part of him wished that would happen. It would end all of the pain, worry, fear... It would end _everything_.

Tadashi's eyes began to slowly close and he felt himself on the verge of consciousness. Maybe he would go to sleep and never wake up. Maybe he would wake up and he would be far away from earthly troubles. Maybe...

The door opened, but Tadashi didn't attempt to raise his head to see who it was. He could only listen as the sound of the person's footsteps grew louder, seeming to echo in this torturous room. The person stopped in front of him, but Tadashi still didn't look up. Whatever happened next, he didn't care. He was just done with it all. He was tired of nearly being consumed by the constant pain and feeling his blood drain from his body.

"You're really going to give up after everything you went through?" The person asked. "Woman up!"

The voice registered in Tadashi's mind, "Gogo?" His voice was weak and hoarse from the lack of water. The older Hamada tried to lift his head, managing enough to be able to see his friend. She stood there, chewing gum and standing with her arms crossed. "After everything we've been through, you're just going to give up on us?"

Somehow, Tadashi managed to mumble. "You're not here." A wave of pain coursed through him, making his body tense and a eyes shut momentarily.

Wasabi's voice rang out next to him, "We're not here as in right here, but we are with you."

Fred appeared and pat Wasabi on the back, "It's like in comic books, when the hero is at their weakest moment, they rise from the ashes as a new person."

Tadashi chuckled a little, "I'm hallucinating."

Gogo blew a bubble with the gum, then popped it. "Yes, you are, but that doesn't make what we say a lie."

"Tadashi, please, we have to get out of here." Honey Lemon appeared in front of her husband and rested a hand on the side of his face. "We have two children to raise, three counting Hiro."

Immediately, there was a protest. "Hey, I'm not a child! I'm sixteen!" Hiro paused for a moment, looking at his brother. "When are you going to use that brain of yours, nerd? You always tell me to, so now would be the perfect time to practice what you preach. You can't expect me to think of everything."

The older Hamada saw Sophie appear in front of him. "Daddy, I want you to come home."

Tadashi closed his eyes once again. Having his friends, wife, brother, and daughter with him made him realize he wasn't alone. He never was. Suddenly, they all disappeared as a punch landed on Tadashi's cheek, making his head snap to the side. However, Tadashi just raised his head and glared at the man that hit him. A grin spread across the older Hamada's face and a new light burned in his eyes. The men in the room paused for a moment, unnerved by the grin the tortured soul wore.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hiro?" Wasabi asked, driving along with Gogo driving Aunt Cass' vehicle behind them.

Hiro shrugged, "No, but it's the only idea I have." Hiro picked up his cell phone and dialed a number. After the second ring, Fred answered the phone. Hiro stated, "Tell Gogo we're getting close. Fred, I want you to start getting ready. We won't have a lot of time to do this."

"Yes sir!" Fred, who was in the passenger seat of Aunt Cass' vehicle, began to prepare for the next phase of the plan.

"Wasabi, make a right hand turn at the end of this street. After that, it's about two miles on the left." Hiro instructed.

Wasabi paused for a moment, "That side of town is completely deserted."

"Yeah, that's why _they _are there." Hiro growled, clutching his fist angrily and nervously.

"Won't they hear us pull up?" He asked.

Hiro shook his head, "No, we're not going to the actual building yet, just somewhere close to it where we can't be seen."

Wasabi began to have doubts, "Will that even work?"

"We'll find out." Hiro stated and focused on what lay ahead.

* * *

Aunt Cass fixed Sophie chicken noodle soup, glad the young child was feeling well enough to eat. As she warmed the soup, Hiro and the others returned and sat down in any chair they could find. Aunt Cass began to talk, "You guys need to eat something and get some rest. You've been gone for quite a while and must be exhausted."

The group muttered they were 'fine' or 'okay', immediately making Aunt Cass become the mother she was destined to be. "That wasn't a request, that was an order. Get something to eat, then get some sleep. Now."

Instantly, the group dispersed and began to look for something to eat so Aunt Cass wouldn't explode from annoyance and worry. She looked over at Hiro, "Sophie asked for you earlier. Can you take this to her?" She handed him a bowl of chicken noodle soup and he took it, walking toward the living room where Sophie sat on the couch watching television with a blanket wrapped around her and Mochi cuddled up next to her. Hiro found himself smile at the scene for a moment before he remembered the situation and he tried to seem less worried as he sat the bowl on the small table in front of the couch.

"Aunt Cass made you this. Be careful, it's still hot." Hiro stated as Sophie slid off the couch to sit on the floor in front of the small table, the blanket still wrapped around her. "Are you feeling better?"

The girl nodded and took a half-hearted sip of the soup. "Mommy always makes me chicken noodle soup when I get sick." She stirred the broth a little, lost in whatever memory she was in. "I want them to come home."

Sadness stabbed Hiro's heart like a knife and he sat in the floor next to the child. "I know. I do, too."

Sophie didn't look at him, "Do you think they're okay?" Hiro didn't know what to say. What if he told her they were okay and they ended up dead? Sophie would never believe anything he said after that. Suddenly, Sophie began to cry and she dropped the spoon in the bowl, bringing the blanket to her face to hide the tears. She knew the answer to the question. Her mom and dad weren't okay. They probably wouldn't make it back home. The child's body trembled as she held back the sobs, the blanket slowly soaking up the tears.

Hiro wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, allowing her to cry in his chest. Immediately, his brotherly instincts had taken over and Hiro finally realized what it was like being the older sibling. He held the child until she simple trembled in his arms from grief.

"Sophie?" Hiro asked, but the young child refused to raise her head. The teen pushed her away gently, holding her shoulders so he could see tear-streaked face. "Sophie, please look at me." Slowly, her teary eyes met his and Hiro wiped away a stray tear trickling down the side of her face. "I'm going to bring your mom and dad back. Okay?"

A faint light filled with hope formed in her eyes and she held out her little finger. "Pinky swear?"

Hiro smiled and locked his pinky with hers, "Pinky swear."

Sophie hugged him, resting her head against his chest and eventually fell asleep. Hiro didn't move for fear of waking the sleeping child, so he remained where he was until his eyes began to slowly close. It wasn't a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_Hiro ran down the hallway, his pursuer on his heels as the teen jumped over boxes and other debris scattered on the floor. His heart beat loudly inside his chest, threatening the burst from fear and exertion. Tears obstructed his vision, making everything around him seem foggy. A hand clasped down on his shoulder and the teen tried to wrench himself free from the man's hold. However, the man slammed Hiro into the wall, sending a sharp pain down the teen's right arm. A punch to the stomach sent Hiro to his knees, gasping for breath as he wrapped his arms around his stomach._

_Even though the breath was knocked out of his lungs, Hiro managed to stumble to his feet and staggered away from his attacker, searching for any opportunity to get away. The man caught up the him quickly and grabbed him around the chest, throwing him once again._

_Hiro was thrown over the railing before he even registered what was happening. He fell through the air and barely had time to even wrap his arms around his head for protection. Darkness consumed him entirely, then pain as he began to come to. A whimper of pain escaped his lips as he tried to move. Hiro's entire body hurt and he felt blood trickle down the various wounds in his body. The teen heard footsteps approach, but he couldn't move. Instead, he remained where he was, the unshed tears streaming down his face. The man held a pipe in his hands as he walked closer._

_Realizing there was no chance of escaping, Hiro began to plead to the man. "Don't." The word was no more than a painful whisper and the young Hamada found the word itself even hurt. However, it didn't stop his attacker. He could only watch as the pipe was raised in the air a moment before it slammed into his leg. A painful cry escaped Hiro's chest and he tried to move again, he tried to crawl away, but it was useless. He had tried to escape, but was now as good as dead._

Hiro woke from the dream and found himself still in the floor with a sleeping child against his chest. Carefully, the teen picked his niece up and put her on the couch covering her with the blanket. She stirred a little and muttered a quiet, "Love you."

With a sad smile, Hiro leaned down and gently kissed the child's forehead. "Love you, too, Sophie. I promise I'll bring your mom and dad back." He moved away from her and stopped in the doorway, turning toward the sleeping child. "Pinky swear."

The others were waiting for him in the kitchen, waiting for his orders. Hiro knew it was time. "You guys don't have to come. It's going to be dangerous."

Gogo shrugged, "We know."

Wasabi looked nervous, "It's not too late to come up with a new plan."

Hiro shook his head, "Yeah, it is."

There was only six more hours until the deadline.

Six more hours to choose between sacrificing himself for his brother and sister-in-law or letting them die in his place.

Hiro already knew what his choice would be. He knew it since he received the text messages.

He swore to himself that he wouldn't let anybody die because of his mistakes.

He wasn't going to break his promise to Sophie.

Hiro looked at the others, "I'll meet you guys outside." Immediately, Gogo, Fred, and Wasabi began to gether their jackets and made sure they had everything they needed before going outside. Hiro turned to look at Aunt Cass, who had tears in her eyes.

"I wish you wouldn't do this." She stated. "There has to be another way."

Hiro smiled at her, "Aunt Cass. We've already been through this. It's the only way." Before he knew it, Aunt Cass wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug which he returned. He pulled away, "I'll make sure they come back alive."

"Just make sure you come back with them." Aunt Cass stated, trying to hold back the tears.

The teen nodded, "I'll try." Then, he turned around and walked to the door. He rested his hand on the handle before turning around and going to his aunt again. He wrapped his arms around her, "Last hug." He broke away and quickly moved to the door, not wanting to see his aunt's tears falling to the floor. He knew how hard it was for her to let him go, because it was hard for Hiro to let her go knowing this could be the last time they would ever see each other.

The others waited for him outside, the cars already running and ready to go. Hiro nodded to them, "You know the plan. Let's go." Hiro sat in the passenger seat of Wasabi's car while Gogo and Fred climbed into the other vehicle Aunt Cass let them borrow. Hiro watched as Wasabi put the car into drive and began to pull away. Hiro took one last look at the Lucky Cat Cafe before they turned around a corner and disappeared, wondering if it was truly the last time he would see the place.

Eventually, Hiro turned to watch the road, not wanting to look back. Right now, he was one step closer to saving Tadashi and Honey Lemon. He was one step closer to his worst fears and nightmares. Hiro grabbed an old hat of Tadashi's he had placed on the backseat earlier and another object from the console. Once the hat was placed on his head perfectly, Hiro used the passenger side mirror to see his reflection. Everything was set.

There was no guarantee that he would be alive in the next hour or so. However, one thing was guaranteed.

There was no going back.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted this chapter to be a bit longer, but I relaly wanted to end it here. Yes, another cliffhanger. ;) Luckily, I was able to update this on time, because I thought I would be a day late for a while. I've had a lot of things to do with school and other stuff, so I've been really busy. I'll still try to update by Wednesday at the latest, so keep an eye out. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because it took me forever to figure it out! **

**Guest Reviews!**

narniac4aslan: Haha, I'm all for the hug! The punch... I'm not too sure, I'd like to keep my front teeth. :p Thanks for reviewing! More will updated soon! I'm sorry you were dreading the end of the chapter, hopefully it makes you look forward to this one. As for Hiro's botfight life and how he got such dark enemies... you'll see. ;)

KungfuKittyKat: Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I feel so bad for them... Yes, if only people weren't so cruel, sadly there are people like that. I'm glad you enjoyed it!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Once again, thanks for the neverending support! :D I honestly don't know what to say other than thanks! So, I've been listening to two certain songs for about a week now, and they're fueling the rest of this fanfic. Nope, not telling you, because that would ruin the rest. So, what songs do you think it is? I'll tell you guys a little later so you can go listen to the awesomeness. :p Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Sorry it's shorter than usual. I didn't have a lot of free time to work on this chapter and I didn't want to update later than Wednesday.**

Honey Lemon didn't know what to think when the three men suddenly entered the room she was held in. However, she knew one thing: whatever the reason, it couldn't be good. Two of them grabbed her by the arms and the third one walked behind them to make sure nothing would happen on the way to the Boss. The men laughed as they walked down the long hallway.

"Ten bucks it's over in five minutes." One man stated.

Another laughed, "I say it'll be over in three minutes."

"Who cares as long as somebody dies?" The third person asked.

Sickened, Honey Lemon began to struggle, but the side of her face burned as one of them slapped her across the cheek. "You're a little wildcat. That's good. It'll only make things more fun later." The men laughed and Honey Lemon felt bile rise into her throat at the disgusting words, but she didn't struggle anymore. It was pointless. She had a feeling something bad was about to happen, but knew she would be unable to do anything. Honey Lemon knew that these men could kill her easily right now since she was still bound by the ropes. A strange feeling began to push on her chest and she realized it was two things: fear and hopelessness.

A part of her wanted to beg to be released. She wanted to beg them to let her and Tadashi go. However, a part of her didn't want to give in to them. Honey Lemon knew they would not be allowed to leave alive, after all, they had seen their faces. They continued to drag her through various hallways and the dread continued to expand in Honey Lemon's chest. Images of Hiro's scarred body flashed through her mind and she could only imagine what he went through with these people. _How long was he here in this hellhole? What did they do to him? When did he even get captured? How did he escape? Can we escape? Is there a way? If I could get away and find Tadashi, then we... No. That won't work. We'd be dead before we even made it to the exit. _A door opened and Honey Lemon glanced up quickly, taking notice of the high-tech arena and dangerous men in the room.

* * *

Tadashi's body hurt everywhere. He didn't think there was a part of his body left unscathed as he lay on the cold floor. They didn't bother restraining him again. Tadashi was outnumbered and injured, so there was no way he would be able to fight them. If he did, it would most likely be an immediate death sentence. Instead, he pressed his cheek against the cold floor, fighting the waves of nausea and pain that threatened to consume him.

"You just going to lay there forever?" Imaginary Hiro asked, but Tadashi didn't bother replying. "Come on, you're supposed to be the older brother. The stronger one. Smarter one."

Tadashi chuckled, "The better-looking one."

Imaginary Hiro immediately stated, "No way. I don't dress like a nerd, nerd. Now, that's not the point. Are you just going lay there forever? Don't you have people back at home that care about you?"

"Nobody knows where we are." Tadashi sighed, then added, "But I'm not giving up. Just give me some time to rest."

Imaginary Hiro snorted, "Time is something you don't have."

"I'm obviously in no condition to do anything right now. I mean, look at me." Tadashi stated.

Imaginary Hiro nodded, "Yeah, you look like crap, but quit making excuses. Just get up."

"Dammit, Hiro. If I could get up, I would have already." Tadashi argued, frustrated.

The boy crossed his arms, "You can get up if you want to or are you going to let a few cuts, bruises, and broken bones stop you? Did you see what they done to me? Do you see the blood in this room? Some of that was mine. I nearly bled to death, but even after that, I _still _managed to get out of here. You're supposed to be the strong older brother, so prove it. Stand. Up."

Tadashi growled angrily, "I can't."

"Yes you-" Imaginary Hiro was interrupted.

"I can't!" Tadashi yelled, shocking the imaginary Hiro.

There was a moment of silence until imaginary Hiro broke it. "Unbelievable. After everything... You have a wife, daughter... You have a family and you're just going to call it quits and leave them? I'm not going to let you do that. You're getting out of here if it's the last thing I do."

"It would be the last thing you do, because you'd die just like me." Tadashi stated sadly. "I'd only be a burden if somebody came for us. I'd be a burden to Honey Lemon and Sophie needs somebody to take care of her. My baby can't grow up without a mother."

Imaginary Hiro immediately replied, "Your baby can't grow up without a father either. That baby can't grow up without you in it's life. You know how it feels to lose your parents. Do you want your child to go through the same thing?"

Tadashi still remained on the cold floor, his eyes blurring with tears as several emotions washed over him. He wanted to see his baby. He wanted to be there when Honey Lemon had their child. He wanted to watch his children grow, go to school, then college, and become successful in life. He wanted to see them find their significant other and get married. He wanted them to live life happily. One thought plagued his mind.

With him out of the picture, how would things change?

Imaginary Hiro began tapping his foot impatiently, "Are you going to stand up yet?"

* * *

Aunt Cass sat with Sophie and Mochi on the couch when they came.

Six men broke into the Lucky Cat Cafe, wearing masks as a precaution against witnesses. The sound of glass breaking startled Aunt Cass, Sophie, and Mochi. Immediately, the cat scrambled off the couch and ran upstairs while Sophie cowered against Aunt Cass, who whispered words of comfort to the frightened child.

Soon, they were in sight and Aunt Cass couldn't stop the fear that found its way into her heart. One of the men warned, "Stay where you are or we'll shoot you!"

A voice replied, "I apologize, but you must leave. You are threatening my patients."

The men stared for a moment, then came to the conclusion that the marshmallow looking robot wasn't anything to worry about. Big mistake.

"Baymax, attack." Aunt Cass stated and the robot immediately slammed one of the men into another, sending them both into a wall. The others didn't know what to do, so they tried to aim their guns at the robot.

However, Baymax quickly disarmed them. "Loaded guns are hazardous to your well-being as well as others."

Realizing they were outmatched, the men ran out of the cafe, not wanting to see what the healthcare robot would do to them. Baymax turned to look at his Aunt Cass and Sophie, "You're heartbeat has increased tremendously, I suggest a calming exercise or breathing technique to-"

"We're okay, Baymax. Thank you." Aunt Cass stated as she continued to hold Sophie in her arms while mentally thanking Hiro for creating a fighting chip for Baymax.

* * *

Honey Lemon's eyes widened when she saw a familiar face in the room. _Hiro?! What are you doing here? Run! Get out of here! _She wanted to yell at him, but the gag in her mouth muffled her words. Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind.

_"I'll come back for you and Tadashi."_

Honey Lemon froze, realizing Hiro had every intention of saving her and Tadashi since the beginning. He was going to save them regardless of what could happen to him. Tears began to fill her eyes as she stared at the boy, the man, almost twenty feet away from her. Honey Lemon could see the hatred in his eyes.

"I'm suprised you showed up. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come." The Boss stated, smiling wickedly.

Hiro simply returned the smile, "And miss all the fun? Like that's going to happen." The teen clenched his hand into a fist, trying to stop trembling. He was terrified, not only for himself, but for Tadashi and Honey Lemon. "Where's my brother?"

The Boss smiled, "I have to know whether or not you're willing to give yourself up. Once you do that, I'll let them go."

Hiro shook his head, "No. I know how you are. You'll just kill us all if I do that. Let Tadashi and Honey Lemon go and you can do whatever you want to me. I came here weaponless, no guns or anything, not even Megabot. As if I can go against all of you with my bare hands."

The Boss began to laugh, "You don't understand, do you, kid?" He pulled a gun fromhis pocket and pointed it at the teen. "I'm the one in charge here. I'm the one that decided who stays and who leave, who lives and who dies."

Hiro stood his ground, "Tell me where Tadashi is."

A gunshot made Honey Lemon grow pale, her ears began to ring, and her eyes instinctively shut. Terror hammered in her heart as she opened her eyes once again to see the outcome of the gunshot. Hiro still stood where he was, a bullet hole in the wall behind him. Based on Honey Lemon's quick calculations, the bullet had missed the teen's head by a few inches.

The Boss didn't lower the gun. "Empty your pockets."

Hiro didn't hesitate to remove the objects out of his pockets. He placed money, a phone, gum wrappers, and a piece of scrap metal from his pockets.

"Now, step away from them. If you try anything, I won't miss." The man stated, the gun level at Hiro's body.

Hiro laughed as he backed away, "Seriously? You think I'm going to use gum paper to attack you?"

"I have some of my men at the Lucky Cat Cafe right now. They're waiting on my orders, so don't test me unless you want their blood on your hands." The Boss stated.

Hiro's eyes narrowed, "This is between me and you. Don't drag anybody else into this."

The Boss smiled, "It's too late for that. You should have thought about that before humiliating me and stealing my money."

Hiro kept his mouth shut, deciding it would be a bad idea to tell the guy that he humiliated himself and lost money due to arrogance. Adding an insult to an equation consisting of a gun and hostages only made the problem more complicated. "Haven't you done enough? I mean, you did torture me and make my life a living Hell for over a year. That's payment enough."

"I'll consider us even when I see you dead body at my feet." The Boss replied. "Until then, you'll never be rid of us."

Hiro nodded, "Okay, then. I'll agree to that as long as Tadashi and Honey Lemon are relaeased, away from here, and safe from you and your people." Honey Lemon began yelling incoherently at Hiro, her face blood red from anger and the force she was using to yell at him.

The Boss laughed at Honey Lemon, "What is it? We can't understand you?" He motioned for somebody to remove the gag from her mouth and, once removed, the Boss continued. "Now, what were you saying?"

Honey Lemon trembled from anger, sadness, fear, and frustration as she glared at the evil man. "Don't you dare hurt him." Then, she turned to Hiro. "You idiot! What do you think you're doing? You were safe! You were-"

"I wan't safe, Honey Lemon. I'll never be safe." Hiro smiled sadly at her. "Please. You, Tadashi, and Sophie have been too good to me. I can't let your family fall apart."

Honey Lemon argued, "You're our family, too!"

Hiro shook his head, "I'm sorry, Honey Lemon. It's my fault you're here, so I'm going to be the one to get you out of this mess. I'm just sorry I didn't come sooner. I made up my mind the night you and Tadashi were captured."

Immediately, Honey Lemon remembered Hiro's words to her the night everything went wrong. _"I'll come back for you and Tadashi." _She shook her head, "Hiro, don't... We'll be okay, just get out of here, _please_."

"How sweet." The Boss mocked. "It's like watching a soap opera."

Hiro ignored the man and focused on Honey Lemon, "It's not your decision, Honey Lemon. You can't make me turn away now. I won't turn away and leave you here with these sick freaks."

The Boss laughed, "The kid managed to hide for over a year. He can't hide anymore, there are no more moves he can make."

Hiro shrugged, "You're right. There are no more moves I can make that will guarantee anything. I tried to stay hidden, but it didn't work. Now, I've put innocent people in danger. I'm out of safe moves." Hiro clenched his fist, his heart beating fast.

The Boss walked closer to him as he addressed the crowd gathered around them, "See? He even admits it! We've managed to corner him after a year. It was difficult, but worth it!" The men agreed with smiles. "From making a remote control to a vehicle to poisoning that dog, we've finally cornered him." The Boss was right in front of Hiro now, the gun pressed against the material of the teen's hat. "So, how do you want to die?"

The teen remained where he was. "Yeah, you managed to get me here. You abducted my family, knowing I would do anything to get them back, regardless the cost. You forgot one thing, though. There's one more move I can still make."

"You're surrounded! You can't do anything! What move do you possibly have left?" The Boss yelled, his eyes filled with the light of insanity.

Hiro smiled. "Divine move."

Divine move.

Definition: a term used in the game Go. A player may be able to use this move once in a lifetime to turn the tides of the game in their favor. The Japanese term is Kami no Itte, which also means 'Godly Move'.

Hiro Hamada was definitely not godly, but he was smart.

And he just happened to be a robotics genius.

The Boss could only watch as small, black objects began to pour into the warehouse from various openings in the building. The small piece of scrap metal Hiro had placed in the floor slammed into the Boss' eye, making him move the gun away from Hiro's head, before joining the others and the small objects began to branch out around everybody.

"Wh-what is this?" The Boss yelled, grasping his eye painfully.

Hiro smiled, "Microbots." Hiro took the hat off his head to reveal the neruocranial transmitter around his head. "My divine move."

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

narniac4aslan: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, the hallucinations fit well in that situation, I think. And I agree that a brotherly Hiro is super cute! Haha, who knew a hat would have such an impact? ;) Thanks for reviewing and the continuous support!

Write that wrong: Aw, thanks! You made me tear up! I'm glad you enjoyed the angst ans suspense! As for the hallucinations, that's exactly what I was going for! :D Anyway, thanks for your support!

jackaroo126: It's okay, I understand! I'm just glad to hear back from you! Thanks! I'm glad you liked them! Aw, thank you for those words and your support!

Aiko: Poor Tadashi... And, thanks for the inspiring words! Unfortunately, there's more pain coming to Tadashi. :p Thanks for reviewing!

Guest (Reviewed on 3/12/15 at 2:46 p.m.): Hahaha! I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or a possible threat. JK, bro. :p Thanks for the review!

Willow: Aw, thank you! I'm glad you like it! I have been updating weekly. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Seriously, you guys should know my Author's Notes by heart now. :p I can't thank you guys enough for the support and encouragement! I love you all! Thanks for sticking by my side for this long! Also, I loved hearing your opinions and thoughts! I'm not going to reveal the song that inspired me to write the next few chapters yet. It's actually a two part song and I really thought somebody came close enough to guessing it, but it didn't happen. :p Now, enough talk, let's get on with the story! **

Hiro Hamada changed over the span of just a few days. For better or worse, Honey Lemon couldn't tell as she stared into his rage-filled eyes. The microbots circled around Hiro as he glared at the men in the room, confidence and determination erasing the fear lingering in his heart. The men stared, frozen in shock from the fact that the 'weak' kid in front of them wasn't as defenseless as they thought. In their eyes, he was a monster.

The Boss was the first one to move. He aimed the gun directly at Hiro's head, but several microbots slammed into the man's hand, making the gun fly through the air as the bones shattered upon impact. The man gripped his hand, cursing and backing away. He turned to the others, "What are you waiting for? Kill them all!" Immediately, a knife was forced against Honey Lemon's throat, making the woman gasp fearfully.

"I'll ask again." Hiro stated, not phased by the threat against Honey Lemon. "Where's Tadashi?"

* * *

Wasabi watched as Gogo emptied the contents of the last can. "I'm really not convinced this is a good idea."

"It's Hiro's plan, so it'll work. It has to." Gogo stated, trying to make herself believe.

Even Fred began to look doubtful, "What if it doesn't work? What if they can't get out? What do we do then?"

Gogo threw the can to the ground and turned to the two men, "If something goes wrong, you two are going to woman up and help me get them out of there. If you wimp out, I _will _make you regret it." Fred and Wasabi didn't argue, afraid of the fate they would meet if they tried. Gogo looked at the building, "How much time do we have, Wasabi?"

Wasabi checked the watch wrapped around his wrist, "Eight minutes, thirty-four seconds."

"Alright, let's get going. We can't be a second early or late." Gogo stated.

"No pressure or anything." Wasabi complained, but Gogo ignored him. She had more important things on her mind than being annoyed by the man's complaint. She didn't know what would happen next. She didn't know if her friends would leave that building alive. She didn't know how she could face Aunt Cass if anything happened to Tadashi, Honey Lemon, or Hiro. She didn't know how much her life would change without them.

She didn't want to find out.

So, she kept walking. "Hiro, this better work."

* * *

Sophie didn't know when she started crying.

One second, she was fine. The next, she was sobbing, hugging Mochi close to her chest as she tried to stop the sobs escaping her. She didn't want to worry anybody else. She didn't want Great Aunt Cass to worry about her. After all, Cass had enough to worry about. Sometimes, Sophie wished she was as smart as her father. If she were, she would build a time machine and go back to fix everything. For some reason, a part of Sophie believed the entire situation was her fault.

_What did I do wrong? Why did my mommy and daddy have to be taken away from me? Will I see them again? Will I see any of them again? What if those people get me? What can I do then? Was there any way I could have stopped this? _Tears trickled down her face and Mochi nudged her chin with his head, mewing. Sophie began to pet the animal, lost in her own blame.

_"I'm going to bring back your mom and dad."_

Hiro's voice rang in Sophie's ears, snapping her out of her own negative thoughts. "Pinky swear." She whispered.

Aunt Cass watched from the doorway, wanting to comfort the young girl, but knowing there was no way she could. In a situation like this, she didn't know how she would even be able to offer any kind of support.

_(Flashback)_

_Aunt Cass stood at the school's office, her hand trembling as she waited for the older Hamada to appear. Three minutes passed and the woman found herself thinking of ways to deliver the bad news. She looked out the window, looking for an answer, hoping one would simply come to mind. However, she didn't have any luck._

_"Aunt Cass?" A small voice asked a few feet away._

_The woman didn't want to turn around. She didn't want the child to see the grief written on her face. However, Aunt Cass knew she had to. She had to be the strong one in this situation. _

_Tadashi began to grow worried, "Aunt Cass..."_

_Finally, the woman turned around and gently rested a hand on the child's shoulder, steering him away from the office and to the safety of the car. He sat in the passenger seat and Aunt Cass sat behind the wheel, now knowing how to tell the boy. He asked, "Aunt Cass, what's wrong?"_

_Only then did the woman notice the tears she had kept prisoner had finally escaped. She gripped the young boy's shoulders after attempting to wipe away her tears. "Tadashi..." She paused, still unsure what to say. Finally, she inhaled deeply, her breath ragged from the pressure of grief on her chest. "Your mom, dad, and brother were in an accident."_

_Immediately, Tadashi's eyes widened. "Are they okay? What happened? How-"_

_"Hiro is in the hospital. He's unconscious and..." Another tear fell from her eyes. "They don't know..."_

_Finally, Tadashi began to understand. "He has to make it! He has to! What about mom and dad? Where are they? Why aren't they with Hiro?" Tears streamed down the older Hamada's face as he yelled. He knew the answers to his own questions, he just didn't want to accept them. _

_"Tadashi... I'm sorry." Aunt Cass watched as he nephew began to slowly break down._

_His parents were dead. He knew it, but a part of him refused to acknowledge it as he continued saying over and over, "They can't be dead."_

_Aunt Cass hugged the child as he cried into her shoulder, afraid to let him go. She was afraid she would lose another person that meant the world to her. As for Tadashi, the child believed his world was slowly falling apart around him and the sky was falling on top of him. At that point, he didn't care if one of the pieces from the sky crushed him completely. At least he would be with his parents. At least they could be a family once again._

_Aunt Cass pulled away from the boy, "We need to go to Hiro."_

_Hiro._

_That one name was the only thing that brought Tadashi out of his own grief. How selfish could he be? How could he wish to die and leave his brother alone? Hiro needed him. Hiro needed his older brother's support. In that moment, Tadashi realized one thing in this tragic situation. He had to live for Hiro's sake._

_Hiro was the only thing keeping Tadashi from being swept away by the raging currents of death._

_Hiro was his anchor._

_(End Flashback)_

* * *

Imaginary Hiro gently kicked the wall out of boredom. "Come on, nerd. I'm getting sick of staying here. Can we go now?"

Tadashi didn't answer as he slowly crawled to his knees, trying to block out the pain that radiated throughout his entire body. The older Hamada tried to stand, but the pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed the ground with an agonized cry.

"So close." Imaginary Hiro stated as he continued to kick the wall.

Tadashi spoke once he regained his breath, "I don't see you offerring any help."

Hiro shrugged, "Hey, I'm just a figment of your imagination. Ignore me if it makes you feel better."

Tadashi tried to stand once again, but fell to the ground. He remained on the ground, exhausted from trying to bear the pain and darkness began to close in around him. He forced the threat of unconsciousness away and gritted his teeth, attempting to stand again. A painful breath escaped his lungs as he stood on both feet, swaying in place.

"Congrats. You deserve a medal." Imaginary Hiro stated, "Now can we get out of here?"

Tadashi stumbled to one of the walls to use it as support as he went to the door. When he tried the handle, he wasn't surprised to find the door was locked. Of course he wouldn't be _that _lucky. There were no windows or air vents, only this single door. The older Hamada sighed in annoyance, "Now what?"

Hiro began kicking the wall again, "Use that brain of yours, nerd. You tell me."

Tadashi began to think, "I didn't ask you for help."

"Good, because I wasn't going to help." Imaginary Hiro muttered under his breath, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Quit being such a big baby." Tadashi stated, even though he knew he was talking to himself. A wave of nausea coursed through the older Hamada and he found himself with his forehead pressed against the wall, trying to stop whatever was left in his stomach from escaping.

Hiro backed away, "Don't you dare puke. I don't want to be stuck in here with the contents of your stomach all over the floor."

Tadashi muttered sarcastically, "Thanks for the concern."

"That's what I'm here for." Imaginary Hiro stated.

* * *

Hiro didn't know what he was doing exactly.

He knew there were several guns pointed at him and everybody in the building except for Tadashi and Honey Lemon wanted to kill him. He had to find Tadashi quickly and get out of here. In reality, Hiro was terrified to begin with, even though he managed to pull off a strong appearance. He saw himself as a kid trying to fight men twice his size, which was true. He was only a teenager. What chance did he have against these ruthless men?

The microbots swirled around the teen and he found more courage seep into his heart. He had the microbots with him, which made him stronger. _You can do this, Hiro. Just think. Breathe. _"Where's my brother?"

The Boss smiled, "He's dead. You're too late."

Hiro shook his head, "You think I believe that? Have you ever heard of the robotic nurse my brother built? His name is Baymax and he scans people to diagnose what's wrong with them. I upgraded the scanners and had him scan this building. There were signs of life from Tadashi, so don't you dare try to convince me he's dead."

"If you know that, then you should also know what critical condition he's in." The Boss mocked.

The teen clenched his fist, "He's better off than what you're going to be after all of this is over." The microbots surged forward as Hiro began to run toward Honey Lemon, knocking the man away that had the knife against her throat while using the microbots to block the bullets flying through the air. Hiro watched as one of the men turned the gun on Honey Lemon, pointing the barrell at her forehead. Fear and anxiety made the teen's heart thump faster as he lunged between the man and Honey Lemon.

A gunshot went off. Honey Lemon screamed and closed her eyes, her gut clenching at the realization that Hiro had most likely been hit by a the bullet. All the sound grew muffled and the world grew darker even though her eyes had been closed. Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder and she opened her eyes. A small light broke the darkness and Honey Lemon gasped at the sight of the microbots surrounding her and Hiro. Some of them had shifted to allow some light in the cocoon they were in.

Hiro's worried eyes met hers, "Are you okay? Are you-" He was pulled into a fierce hug, his bones seeming to crush from the strength.

"If we get out of here alive, I don't want you to ever do anything like this again." Honey Lemon reprimanded him, tears in her eyes as she held her brother-in-law.

Hiro smiled and returned the hug, "We don't have much time." He broke away and looked at the watch around his wrist. "Three minutes, seventeen seconds."

"What do you mean by three-" Honey Lemon began to ask, confusion crossing her face as she noticed something else. "You're bleeding!"

Hiro felt the blood trickle down toward his lip and he wiped away some of the blood streaming from his nose. "I'm fine."

"It's because of this new invention, isn't it?" Honey Lemon questioned, pointing at the neurocranial transmitter on Hiro's head.

He nodded, "They're not complete. I can only use them for fifteen minutes."

A foreboding sensation flooded Honey Lemon, "What happens after fifteen minutes?"

Hiro looked at his watch again, "Two minutes, forty-eight seconds. We have to move. Do you know where Tadashi is?"

"No, they separated us a while ago. I haven't seen him since..." Honey Lemon informed, irked that he ignored her question.

Hiro's face darkened, "I think I have an idea." Then, he began to talk quickly, "The others are outside, they'll help you escape. Just get out of this building and they'll take you to a safe place. I'll hold them off while you get out of here."

"I'm not leaving-" Honey Lemon knew what he was planning on doing.

Hiro interrupted her again, "We don't have time to argue, Honey Lemon. Just trust me!" He waited for her to argue with him, but continued when she remained silent. "When the time comes, I want you to run through the doors as quickly as you can and don't look back no matter what. I'll find Tadashi."

"Hiro, I don't think this is a good idea. What if-" Honey Lemon stopped when more blood poured from Hiro's nose.

The teen wiped the blood away again, "I promised Sophie I would bring you both back. I'm not breaking my promise to her." He looked at his watch again, "Two minutes, twelve seconds. We have to go. On the count of three, I'm going to drop the wall of microbots. Stay behind me and don't run until I tell you." He didn't give her time to argue. Hiro made the microbots move until they formed a wall between them and the enemy. Quickly, they began to move toward the door. Hiro watched the seconds tick on the watch.

_Two minutes._

Hiro blocked himself and Honey Lemon from the bullets that flew toward them, hoping they made it to the door in time. The Boss shouted orders at the men as they tried to surround the two people trying to escape. A bullet managed to break through the barrier of microbots and grazed Honey Lemon's leg, making her stumble a bit. Hiro grabbed her by the arm instinctively and tried to shield her with his own body in case abother bullet managed to get past the microbots. Honey Lemon's eyes were wide from fear and pain, but the adrenaline rush eventually blocked out the fact that blood streamed from a huge cut in her leg.

_One minute, thirty-two seconds._

They were twenty feet away from the door and Hiro tried to pick up the pace. Blood streamed from his nose onto his shirt and the floor, making him unable to breathe through his nose. A bullet hit the wall behind them, making pieces of brick embed into their skin. They ignored the pain and continued moving. Hiro stumbled a bit, but Honey Lemon caught him before he could get in the line of fire. The doors were twelve feet away. Eleven. Ten. Blood trickled down Hiro's throat and the teen nearly gagged at the copper taste that eventually settled on his stomach.

_Fifty-seven seconds._

They were only five feet away from the doors. "Go." Hiro commanded, looking back at Honey Lemon. Time seemed to slow for a moment as the woman ran toward the door. Honey Lemon had looked into Hiro's fearful eyes and finally understood why he was here despite the fear. He wanted to protect those that mattered to him. He wanted to be the one that sent these demons disguised as humans back to the Hell they came from. He had to be the one to end this.

The look in his eyes told the truth: he would end it, even if it killed him.

Honey Lemon would never forget that image. She would never forget those eyes that seemed to penetrate her soul as she ran through the door and into the fresh air. The door slammed behind her, the noise echoing in the stillness of the night. However, she didn't pay attention, she could only focus on the image of Hiro burned into her memory.

* * *

_Thirty-eight seconds._

Hiro made sure Honey Lemon had left before turning his attention to the enemy in front of him. He made the microbots move forward as he ran toward the gunfire, shocking the men for a moment. The micrbots knocked some of them down on the way and Hiro commanded some of them to gather under his feet. A moment later, the microbots pushed the teen into the air, sending him flying onto an upper level bridge of the warehouse. The gunfire still continued as Hiro ran along the railed bridge, the microbots still shielding him from the bullets.

_Twenty-five seconds._

Hiro ran until he was off the bridge-like structure, then made a left to run down hallway, the microbots still trailing him. The gunfire had stopped and was replaced by loud profanities that the teen ignored. He had to find Tadashi, but he knew where he most likely was. He made it to one of the doors and tried to open it, but it was locked. He used the microbots to break down the door.

_Thirteen seconds._

* * *

Tadashi didn't know he had passed out until he found himself waking up on his back, lying on the floor. He moved a weak hand toward his head in an attempt to soothe the migraine forming.

Imaginary Hiro walked up to him, "You weren't out long if that's what you were wondering."

Tadashi felt the nausea return and he just closed his eyes tightly, the darkness returning once again. He could hear Imaginary Hiro still talking to him and a part of him wanted to tell the figment of his imagination to shut up and leave him alone.

"Tadashi." A moment of silence.

"-out of here." More silence. Tadashi felt a hand rest on his arm and Imaginary Hiro continued talking. "Come on."

"Wake up." Imaginary Hiro was more desperate now. "Tadashi!" Something hit the older Hamada across the face and his eyes flew open, searching for what hit him. Imaginary Hiro knelt next to him looking exhausted, but relieved.

Tadashi froze, noticing the hand on his arm once more and realized that figments of his imagination would not be tangible. "Hiro?" His voice shook in a whisper filled with disbelief. Then, he saw the microbots around Hiro. "What are-"

_Zero seconds._

The microbots fell to the ground, motionless, as blood poured from Hiro's nose and a headache made him feel like somebody was stabbing him in the head. Exhausted from having to concentrate on controlling the microbots, Hiro inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to calm the dizziness he had. He held out a hand to Tadashi, "We have to get out of here."

"Honey Lemon and Sophie?" Tadashi asked, concerned.

Hiro smiled, "They're safe."

After hearing that, Tadashi managed to gather the strength he needed. He reached for Hiro's hand and allowed the teen to help him to his feet. A loud _bang _echoed in the room and Hiro collapsed to the gound, blood pouring from the gunshot wound in his right leg. Tadashi forgot about his own pain and moved to position himself in front of his wounded brother, glaring at the man who was the cause of all this mayhem.

"I told you long ago that you wouldn't leave here alive." The Boss stated, a gun levelled at Tadashi's chest by a steady hand. "Now, the only question is whether or not I kill both of you now or let you suffer. Which do you chose?"

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There's more to come! Have a great day/night!**

**Guest Reviews:**

Guest (Reviewed on March 19th): Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

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Willow: Thanks! I think it would be cool if you could translate my story to French. I don't have anything to contact you with, though, sadly. If you typed an email address or something into the review, it wouldn't show me what it was. Thanks for reviewing!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: *phew* It literally just took me an hour to reply to everybody's reviews. Not that I'm complaining. :p Anyway, thanks for the continuous support! You're all awesome! The power went out for a few hours today and I was flipping out because I hadn't updated. Luckily, it came back on. I was even about to handwrite all of it. :p Also, if I didn't reply to any reviews, tell me, please. I don't want anybody to feel left out! Hope you enjoy, even though this is a pretty short chapter. I didn't have a lot of time to make it longer. It was either make it longer and be about a day late on updating or leaving it to this and updating now. It should be longer next week, because I'll be on spring break and won't have to worry about school. **

At first, Hiro didn't feel the pain of the bullet wound. His brain didn't seem to register that he had been shot instantly, instead it waited a little over a second for the pain to finally set in. With gritted teeth, the teen held his hands against the gaping hole in his leg, trying to stop the blood gushing from the wound. Tadashi swayed a little as he stood in front of his brother, shielding Hiro while trying to find a way out of the situation they were in.

Hiro still had the neurocranial transmitter around his head, but pain and exhaustion, both mental and physical, rendered the invention useless. The teen tried to order the microbots to hit the Boss, to put a shield in front of Tadashi, but they refused to obey him. His fifteen minutes with the microbots were gone. He had ran out of time.

Suddenly, the Boss slammed the end of the gun into the side of Tadashi's head, making the older Hamada stumble to the side. Already off balance, he caught himself against the wall and tried to lunge toward the man. However, the Boss simply aimed the gun at Tadashi, his finger threatening to tighten on the trigger. "You didn't answer my question."

Tadashi could feel the bruise begin to form from where he was hit, but he refused to show the pain he felt. He glared at the man, "Screw you."

"Now, now Tadashi. That's not nice. I might just pull the trigger." The Boss threatened and the men under his command smirked. They knew it was over. The Boss would kill those two people, find the woman that escaped, then kill the rest of the family. That was the way things worked here: you either lived or died.

The Boss laughed, "I made the mistake last time of underestimating your brother, Tadashi. The kid's smarter than any average human, a genius." The Boss aimed the gun at Hiro, "But not this time. This time, you're not getting away. Your little invention won't save you or anybody else. We're going to kill them all, your friends and family, until you're the last one. You'll die slowly and painfully knowing you were the cause of all this."

Hiro couldn't move as three men surrounded him. He remembered the nightmare he had a while back where everybody was killed in front of him and they spent their last words blaming him for everything. What if that was a premonition? Did this moment lead to that? Was it even possible? Hiro didn't even register that he was lying on his stomach, his back exposed to the cool air. He could barely hear Tadashi screaming at the men and the sound of the struggle as his brother was restrained. Hiro didn't come to his senses until the knife was placed against his skin, directly over the scars on his back.

The teen began to fight, the cold metal pulling him from his thoughts as he tried to get the knife away from his back. He couldn't go through what he did last time. He barely survived the first time, he definitely wouldn't live the second time. Fear began to slowly consume the teen and he soon found his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He couldn't breathe and was on the verge of a panic attack, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Tadashi continued his attempt to fight the men, even though he was weak, injured, and restrained. He slammed his forehead into the nose of one of the men, yelling and cursing. "Let him go!" His words were cut off when somebody slammed their fist into his stomach and the older Hamada cursed, threatening the men with each breath he could manage.

An agonized cry from Hiro made Tadashi's heart break as the knife dug into the teen's back, tracing the lines that marred the skin. Hiro could feel his heart racing from fear and pain as he tried to break away from the people, but to no avail. His own screams echoed in his mind as the warm, fresh blood trickled down his back and sides.

_'I can't do this again! I can't!' _Hiro thought, wishing they would just kill him already. He hated being weak. He hated being broken. Another line was traced with the knife and the blade dug deeper into his skin, deeper than the wounds made the first time. Eventually, Hiro couldn't hear himself screaming. The sound had seemingly disappeared from the world. All that existed was pain.

"Hiro!" Tadashi yelled, his voice rough from yelling and lack of water. "Leave him alone! You can do whatever you want to me, just leave him alone!"

The Boss ordered the men torturing Hiro to stop and they did. Nobody moved as the Boss smiled at the older Hamada. "Isn't it funny how older brothers will do anything for their younger brothers? My older brother was the same as you. He had a family of his own, a house, a job, but he had a dangerous hobby. About a year ago, my brother and I were in this building botfighting."

_**(Flashback) **_

_"Look at the turnout! We're definitely making a lot of money from these botfights!" The Boss' older brother stated, "You have a good thing going here, kid."_

_The Boss glared, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me 'kid'? And, we always make a lot of money because I always win, Jensen."_

_Jensen laughed, "I tihnk somebody's getting cocky."_

_"Right... The day somebody beats me is the day pigs fly." The Boss stated._

_"Pigs may fly sometime, Vin..." Jensen pondered the thought, teasing._

_Vincent (Vin) ignored his older brother and focused on the botfight he was involved in. His robot was fighting a larger one with swords for arms, but it didn't take long for Vin's robot to demolish the opponent, little pieces of metal scattering across the arena. The man smiled victoriously, "Who's next?"_

_"Can I try?" A voice questioned from the crowd as the figure stepped forward. The figure looked to be around the age of a teenager with black, untamed hair and nervous eyes. Immediately, everybody in the arena laughed believing there was no way the kid could be serious. _

_"Get out of here, kid!" One yelled._

_"Go back to Toys-R-Us!" Another mocked._

_"You don't belong here!" Somebody joined._

_Vin held up a hand to silence the crowd, "Okay, kid, let's see what you've got."_

_The boy placed a small robot in the middle of the arena and at cross-legged at the edge of the arena. Vin's robot destroyed the child's creation immediately, sending the robot into a couple pieces with one hit._

_Wide-eyed, the boy stared, "That was my first fight. Can I try again?"_

_Vin agreed to another fight, enjoying humiliating the kid. After all, it wasn't every day a mere child challenged him. The child's robot reassembled itself, looking as if it was never hit. The controls in the boy's hand extended and a serious look etched across his face. "Megaabot, destory." The little robot's painted smiley face switched to an angry one, confusing Vin. Then, Megabot began to attack Vin's robot, destroying it in less than a minute. Nobody spoke as Vin, Jensen, and the rest of the crowd stared at the scene in front of them. _

_Vin's robot was disassembled, the parts scattered across the arena floor. Rage filled the defeated bot fighter as he watched the child collect the money. "Get him!" Vin yelled, not wanting the child to take the money. Immediately, people in the crowd surged forward, trying to reach the boy, who began to run. Jensen pursued him immediately, chasing him out the door and into the alley. _

_Before reaching the road, the child tripped over something lying on the ground. Immediately, Jensen attacked the teen, trying to get the money back. Jensen wrapped his hands around the child's throat and began to squeeze, preventing any oxygen from passing. Determined to break free, the teen grabbed a rock lying beside him and slammed it into the man's head, making Jensen lose his grip. Seeing an opportunity, the child kicked the man away and directly onto the road._

_Vin had just emerged from the alley when he saw his brother get hit by the truck driving along the road. A loud thud echoed in the air and immediately sickened Vin, who watched in shock as his brother's body rolled along the road a few feet before coming to a complete stop and the truck sped away. Fear made Vin run toward his brother and he fell to his knees beside his older brother. "Jensen... Please... No!" Vin stared at his brother's broken, dead body. Tears fell from his eyes as he tried to wipe away the blood from Jensen's face. His brother, the only family he ever had, was dead._

_And it was all the child's fault._

_**(End Flashback)**_

* * *

Honey Lemon didn't know what to think when she ran outside. A part of her was terrified. The other part of her recognized one thing: she was almost free. She wouldn't be free until she knew her family was safe and they were far away from the horrifying situation. Suddenly, a voice called out to her and grabbed her arm. "Are you okay?"

Honey Lemon jumped, startled as she looked at the three figures standing before her. She nodded, "I'm okay."

"You're bleeding." Fred stated, pointing the blood streaming from where the bullet grazed her leg.

"I'm fine, but we have to figure out a way to get Tadashi and Hiro out of there." Honey Lemon stated and grew concerned when her friends began to look at the ground. "What is it?"

Wasabi tried to explain, "Hiro came up with a plan in case something like this happened... He... Well, he..."

Gogo finished explaining, "Hiro wanted us to get you out of here if he and Tadashi didn't make it out in time." She heard Wasabi's watch began to beep. "They're too late." She grabbed an object from her pocket and began to walk toward a dilapidated part of the wall.

"What are you doing?" Honey Lemon asked, even though she knew. "Don't!"

Gogo let the flame on the lighter roar to life, illuminating her face. "I'm following through with the plan." She threw the Zippo lighter to the ground and the group of friends could only watch as the flames crawled along the trail of gasoline they had poured out around the building earlier. In moments, a wall of fire surrounded the building and they all felt their stomachs twist.

There was no way anybody could escape.

* * *

Sophie hated to go to sleep. She didn't want the nightmares to come, but they came anyway.

_"Mommy, daddy? Where are you? Hiro?" She walked in a building with white walls, a strong metallic smell making her sick to her stomach. She looked into a room and saw Great Aunt Cass with bloodshot eyes, rocking back and forth muttering under her breath. "Where's mommy and daddy?"_

_The woman continued to mutter something Sophie couldn't understand. Afriad, the small child backed out the room and ran down the hallways. Tears streamed down her face as she called out to her mom, dad, and uncle. Suddenly, the lights in the hallway went out, leaving Sophie in the dark. She whimpered, looking around for any source of light. She saw a figure standing at the end of the hallway, moving toward her._

_Terrified, the child screamed and began to run away. Sobs made her gasp for breath and her heart hammered in her chest. She looked over her shoulder and saw the figure was getting closer. When she faced forward again, she found a wall blocking her way. Sophie looked around for a way to escape, but didn't find anything. The child pressed her back against the wall and slid down it as the figure closed in on her._

_"Go away! Mommy! Daddy! Hiro! Somebody, help me!" Sophie cried, trembling from terror. "Please! Help!" The figure stopped in front of her, towering over her like a monster. "Help me." Sophie whispered as the man slowly reached toward her._

Sophie woke up screaming in Great Aunt Cass' arms. The woman held the child close, running a hand through her hair as Sophie cried. "Shhh, it was a nightmare. It wasn't real."

"I want to wake up." Sophie hiccuped.

Confusion crossed the woman's face, "Sweetie, you are awake."

More tears trickled down the child's face, "Then why do I feel like I'm still dreaming?"

* * *

Tadashi listened to the Boss tell the story, unable to do anything else. He couldn't imagine the pain the man went through losing his brother, but going to this extreme was ridiculous! After all, the Boss had already commented on what an older brother would do for their younger sibling. Tadashi had came to the conclusion a long time ago that he would do anything for his brother, even if it meant dying. The only problem was Hiro had the same intentions as well.

Hiro spoke, his voice weak. "I didn't mean to. It just happened. I didn't mean to hurt him."

The Boss whirled around to face Hiro, "He's dead because of you... My brother is dead because of you!"

"I'm sorry he was killed, but Hiro didn't cause it! He wasn't the one driving the truck! He wasn't the one that-" Tadashi began, but found himself lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. Then, pain radiated throughout his shoulder and the older Hamada gritted his teeth to not focus on the gunshot wound.

"Tadashi!" Hiro yelled, his eyes wide and fearful as he tried to break free, but only aggarvated the wounds in his back and leg more, making him exhale a painful breath.

The Boss stared at the younger Hamada, "I'm going to make you suffer the same pain I felt. You're going to see what it's like to lose your brother." The Boss aimed the gun at Tadashi's chest, "I'm going to put you through the Hell I've been in."

"Tadashi!"

_Bang._

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

DisneyPrincess: Yeah, they are crazy, but will they actually give up? :p Yep, Hiro's a genius, hopefully he'll get out of there with Tadashi. Thanks for reviewing!

Guest (Reviewed on March 26): Bahaha! Did it happen? :p Thanks for reviewing!

fyphoniex: Thanks! I hope you like this chapter!

Willow: Haha, be afraid, be very afraid! :p And, sounds great, just tell me when you're going to translate it!

Guest (Reviewed on March 26): Thanks! Whether they make it out alive will be answered soon. ;) I hope you like this chapter!

Luma Dome: Thanks, I'm glad you like it! I'm glad you find it so great! Your private messaging is disabled, so I'm just going to reply to your review here. ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: First, I'm sorry I was late replying to last chapters reviews, I was going to reply to them over the weekend, but I got too busy, then I had my wisdom teeth cut out Monday, so that's put me behind as well. I really don't feel like writing simply because of this wisdom teeth deal, but I'm not going to do that to you guys. Now, back to last chapter.*laughs and wipes tears away* You're reactions... so funny! Understandable, though. So, who was shot last chapter? Read to find out! ;) Also, thanks for the awesome support! Sorry this chapter is late, blame the pain from having my teeth cut out and the annoyance from the stitches! I'm kind of not happy with this chapter, but I didn't know what else to do. Hopfully, you guys enjoy!**

**~Previously~**

_The Boss whirled around to face Hiro, "He's dead because of you... My brother is dead because of you!" _

_"I'm sorry he was killed, but Hiro didn't cause it! He wasn't the one driving the truck! He wasn't the one that-" Tadashi began, but found himself lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. Then, pain radiated throughout his shoulder and the older Hamada gritted his teeth to not focus on the gunshot wound._

_"Tadashi!" Hiro yelled, his eyes wide and fearful as he tried to break free, but only aggarvated the wounds in his back and leg more, making him exhale a painful breath. _

_The Boss stared at the younger Hamada, "I'm going to make you suffer the same pain I felt. You're going to see what it's like to lose your brother." The Boss aimed the gun at Tadashi's chest, "I'm going to put you through the Hell I've been in."_

_"Tadashi!" _

_Bang._

**~Now~**

Tadashi instinctively shut his eyes before the trigger was pulled. He didn't want to see what was going to happen next, his heart hammering inside his chest. It seemed like an eternity passed as he waited to feel the agonizing pain in his chest where the bullet entered. However, he didn't feel anything. The pain wasn't there and the only thing he could hear was his frantic heartbeat. Slowly, the older Hamada opened his eyes and saw a wall of darkness in front of him. It moved slightly before surging forward, slamming the Boss into a wall. Tadashi looked over at Hiro and finally realized what had happened.

Hiro was still lying on the floor, but his eyes were lit with anger and the neurocranial transmitter was still on his head. The men restraining him cursed and reached for the invention, but the microbots moved again, throwing the men off the boy. Hiro tried to get to his feet, but failed. Suddenly, his eyes widened, "Tadashi, get the gun!"

Slightly dazed, Tadashi looked over at the Boss, who was trying to pick himself up from the floor. The gun lay motionless a few feet in front of Tadashi, who lunged for it. When the men surrounding them raised their guns to shoot the older Hamada, Hiro used the microbots to intercept them. Finally, Tadashi had the gun in his hands and he raised it in the air. Without hesitating, he pulled the trigger and the gun kicked in his hand, the bullet sailing from the weapon. The Boss cried out painfully as the bullet hit him, stumbling into the wall before sliding down it.

Silence seeped into the room as nobody moved. Tadashi remained where he was, the gun still in his hand as he stared at the man he had just killed. Hiro stared through blurry eyes, not believing the man who made his life a living Hell was dead. The other men stood in shock, wondering if their leader was going to get back up. A loud explosion ripped through the air and sent those standing to the floor as the building shook.

For a moment, Tadashi couldn't see anything due to the dust and smoke that began to fill the room. He could hear people coughing and moving as they tried to figure out what happened. Tadashi managed to get to his feet and went to Hiro as the men in the room began to flee, realizing the building was on fire. "Hiro?" Tadashi's voice was raspy from inhaling the dust and smoke. Hiro could feel the darkness closing in around him, he was about ready to lose consciousness. The teen reached for the voice calling to him until a hand grabbed his. "You can't pass out on me yet, Hiro. We have to get out of here."

Hiro realized his brother was right. They had to get out of here. Hiro forced his eyes open, black spots dancing in his vision as Tadashi made the teen stand up. Then, they were moving through the door and out of the room, finally seeing the building was almost engulfed in flames. "How can we get out?" Tadashi wondered out loud as he held onto his brother, helping the injured teen walk.

"Basement." Hiro muttered, losing the battle to stay awake. "Tunnel." The teen went limp in Tadashi's arms and the older brother saw blood streaming from Hiro's ears. Scared, Tadashi took the neurocranical transmitter from his brother's head and tried to use the invention, but it didn't work. The microbots refused to move. Annoyed, the older Hamada threw the invention to the ground, not wanting it to get in his way. Quickly, Tadashi dragged Hiro down the stairs carefully, focusing on not falling.

Debris fell around the two Hamadas, but Tadashi continued moving, choking as he tried to inhale clean oxygen. Screams echoed in the atmosphere as those that tried to escape were burned or had debris fall on them. Tadashi tried to ignore it all, but he knew those screams would be imprinted into his nightmares for the rest of his life. A piece of flaming debris hit Tadashi's back, making him gasp in pain as he tried to get away from it. His skin burned and it hurt to move, but he done his best to ignore the pain and keep moving.

A harsh cough ripped through his chest, making his already raw throat hurt even more. Tears streamed from his eyes due to the smoke and his lips began to bleed as they cracked from the intense heat. Another cough sent a wave of pain throughout his entire body, his ribs aching and other wounds began to reopen. The older Hamada collapsed a few minutes later, unable to breathe due to the smoke. He was on his stomach, trying to gather the strength to rise to his feet, failing at every attempt.

"Is that it? You made it this far and you're just going to quit? You're pathetic." Imaginary Hiro stated, crossing his arms in annoyance. "Come on, you're like three minutes away from getting out of here."

Tadashi didn't have the breath to reply as he looked at his brother's motionless body. Tadashi knew their relationship wasn't the best since he moved out of Aunt Cass' apartment. There were times where Hiro annoyed Tadashi so much, the older brother found himself restraining the urge to completely snap. Hiro seemed to hate Tadashi for a long time for reasons Tadashi didn't know. However, after tonight, the older brother knew Hiro had never really hated him, just as Tadashi never hated Hiro. They were brothers, they would fight and have their petty arguments, but it didn't change the fact that they cared for each other.

Determined, the older Hamada rose to his feet, grabbed Hiro, and began to walk once again, his eyes watering from the smoke. Tadashi promised Hiro not too long ago that he would protect him, he wasn't going to break that promise.

* * *

Gogo looked at the fire she had started, praying her friends would find a way out. Nobody seemed to understand why she set the fire in the first place. If it was up to her, she wouldn't have to begin with.

_(Flashback)_

_"Gogo, I have something I need you to do." Hiro stated as the two stood in the garage alone. "If something doesn't work out. If I run out of time, I want you to make sure these people won't escape." He handed her a lighter, "Set fire to the building. It's an old building, so it should be pretty simple to-"_

_Gogo interrupted him, "Are you crazy? If I do that, you'll be killed along with them!"_

_Hiro smiled at her sadly, "If I run out of time, chances are I won't make it out anyway. I don't want these people to escape, I don't want them to hurt anybody else. Please, Gogo."_

_"Why?" Gogo asked. "Why are you even doing this? You're just a teenager, we should let the police or somebody deal with them. They could be locked up, or-"_

_Hiro shook his head, "It won't work. They wouldn't be in jail forever and there's no concrete evidence of everything that has happened. Even if they did go to prison, it wouldn't be for long. Gogo, I promise I'll do my best to get out of there, but I want to know that you'll do as I say if something goes wrong."_

_"I won't set the building on fire if you don't have another escape route planned." Gogo stated._

_Hiro thought for a moment and smiled, "I already have that covered."_

_(End Flashback)_

They could hear the agonized screams coming from inside the building and could only hope that none of them were Tadashi and Hiro. Honey Lemon held a hand over her mouth as she watched the scene in front of her. Silently, she prayed for the safety of her family and the others had the same idea as well.

* * *

_A light broke through the darkness Hiro was surrounded by, illuminating the area before dimming once again. Hiro stared at a mirror image of himself, the same clothes, messy hair, eyes, everything. "Who are you?" Hiro asked, confused. "What do you want?"_

_The other Hiro smiled, "Who am I?" He laughed, "I'm you. As for what I want, I don't want anything. I'm just here to watch the show."_

_"What show?" Hiro asked and the other image of himself pointed to Hiro's feet. The teen gasped frightfully and took a few steps backward. His legs were slowly disappearing. He raised his hands in front of him and looked at his arms, realizing they were slowly melting into the darkness as well. "What's happening?"_

_The other Hiro replied, "What does it look like? You're fading away."_

_Hiro stared at the other him, "You mean I'm dying?"_

_The other Hiro shrugged, "I guess you can put it that way. It's sort of true, I think."_

_Hiro looked at his body once again and noticed he was almost invisible, "How do I stop this? What can I do?"_

_"You can't do anything." The other Hiro stated. "Saving yourself now is hopeless. It would probably be easier to just fade away. You'd be free from your old life, free from the pain you felt so long ago."_

_"What are you talking about? How can I be free from my past?" Hiro yelled, growing agitated. "Can you just give me a straight answer?"_

_The other Hiro laughed, "It wouldn't be fun, then. I will give you this, though. How much do you remember right now?"_

_Confusion crossed Hiro's face and the darkness soon wrapped around him, engulfing him completely as he faded away into an abyss of nothingness._

* * *

Tadashi finally made it to the basement, his legs shaking from exhaustion and pain as he searched for whatever tunnel Hiro was talking about. He glanced around until he saw a ladder descending further into the ground. A flood tunnel that would allow them to access the sewers. Knowing that had to be it, the older Hamada dragged his brother to the ladder and looked into the hole. A faint sound of water could be heard and Tadashi knew this was their only way out.

Immediately, he maneuvered himself and Hiro down the ladder and into the ankle deep water below, moving forward into the dark tunnel. The smell made the already nauseaous Hamada even more sick and he trudged through the filthy water. Briefly, Tadashi thought about how their wounds would most likely become infected after this, but he pushed the thought aside. He tripped and fell multiple times, but always stood back up again. He was so close to getting out of this place and the adrenaline came rushing back.

Sweat, blood, and ash covered both brothers as they continued deeper into the tunnel. A rat ran by Tadashi's feet, startling him enough to make him flinch away momentarily. Cursing the rat, the older Hamada began walking once again, his heart still racing from everything that had happened. Whether it was fear or adrenaline that kept him going, Tadashi didn't know and he knew he would never find out.

A beam of light suddenly appeared and Tadashi stared at it for a moment, wondering if he was hallucinating or if there was an enemy ahead. Deciding it was probably his best option, Tadashi continued forward, "Who's there?" His voice was barely above a whisper, his throat damaged by the smoke.

The beam of light hit Tadashi in the face, making the older Hamada close his eyes. "You're okay!" The person behind the beam of light began yelling, "Guys, they're over here!" The figure climbed down into the tunnel, the flashlight finally revealing the person's face.

Tadashi sighed in relief, "Fred." Don't get him wrong, Fred was one of Tadashi's best friends but, at that moment, Tadashi believed there wasn't another time when he was so glad to see the comic fanatic.

Fred took the injured Hiro from Tadashi and helped both of them to the ladder. By that time, Gogo, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon were there, ready to help in any way they could. Hiro was carefully removed from the tunnel first, still unconscious. Tadashi went up the ladder next and was immediately hugged by his wife when he reached the top. Forgetting about his pain, he simply held Honey Lemon tightly, realizing how close he came to losing her forever. Sirens wailed in the distance, but by that time, the group of friends were already driving away to the hospital and away from the nightmare they had just been through, both Hamada brothers unconscious in the back seat.

* * *

The man groaned in pain as he walked through the water, the burns on his body screaming in agony. He stumbled and fell into the shallow water, then remained where he was. He didn't move for a while. He simply listened to what was happening on the surface. The fire department was at the building fighting the fire and the man knew police would be there, too. There was no way he could simply walk out without being considered a suspect. However, the man found he no longer cared. Instead, he climbed the ladder and emerged from the manhole in the ground, breathing in the fresh air as best as he could. The man rose to his feet and began to walk away from the burning building, one thought going through hs mind.

_I'm going to kill them._

The man disappeared into the night, unseen.

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

**Willow: Next chapter is, well, here! ;) Sorry it took so long! And, thanks for wanting to translate this story!**

**Guest (Reviewed on April 5th): Thanks for the review and thinking this is a great story! Hopefully, you're happy with this chapter. See, I'm not extremely evil. ;)**

**Guest (Reviewed on April 5th): Baha, I absolutely love cliffies, but only when I know what's going to happen. :p Thanks for the review!**

**Anonymous: *gets scared and slowly backs away* Okay, calm down, there's no need for violence. :p Thanks for the review!**

**Dying of cuteness: Aw, thank you! I'm glad you seemed to like last chapter! Thanks for the support!**

**narniac4aslan: I'm glad you liked last chapter! Hopefully, this one met your expectations! Haha, yeah, both brothers seem to have a the same idea. Yep, luckily this is far from the real world! I'm glad you liked the Boss' backstory! I kind of felt sorry for him. :( Anyway, thanks for the support and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Guest (Reviewed on April 2nd): Aw, thank you! I'm glad you find this story amazing! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**aiko: Haha, I'm sorry to have caused you such distress, aiko san! Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks so much for the amazing reviews and support! I believe now would be a good time to tell you what two songs fueled the last few chapters. There were a lot of good guesses and I loved to go listen to the songs/bands I had never heard of before. There was one person I thought came pretty close to guessing it and that was Forever Me, who immediately began talking about an amazing television show called Teen Wolf. Well, the two songs I was thinking about was inspired by Teen Wolf. The song is broken up into two different parts. The first one is "War" by Former Vandal. The second song is "War Part 2" by Former Vandal, which is mainly for this chapter (that's why I didn't tell you the song before, you would have tried to guess what was going to happen). Anyway, you should go listen to the awesomeness. ;) I'll reveal the next song I've been listening to eventually. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed, but I didn't know what else to do with it. Enjoy!**

Aunt Cass walked through the hospital doors, Sophie walking as fast as she could to match the woman's pace. When Aunt Cass made it to the front desk, she was almost breathless. "Can you tell me where Tadashi and Hiro Hamada is?"

The receptionist immediately went to the computer screen, "Give me a second." She began typing on the keyboard and scrolling through the information. Her face grew concerned, "They're currently in surgery." She pointed down one of the corridors. "Go down the hallway and just follow the signs to the waiting room."

Aunt Cass didn't waste her breath thanking the woman. Instead, she began to quickly walk through the hallway, following the signs to the waiting room. Sophie didn't complain about the speed they were walking, instead, she tried to not trip, clutching Aunt Cass' hand tightly, afraid of the hospital. Visiting the hospital meant a loved one was sick or hurt and it scared the young girl to think that her family was here. The two followed the signs until they reached the waiting room.

Sophie let go of Aunt Cass' hand and began to run, "Mommy!"

Honey Lemon immediately rose to her feet and met her daughter halfway, getting to her knees and wrapping her arms around the girl. "Sophie..." Tears streamed down Honey Lemon's face as she held her daughter tightly, then kissed the top of her head. "I love you so much. I'm so glad you're safe."

Sophie was crying, "I love you, mommy and I missed you." She looked around, "Where's daddy and Hiro?"

Honey Lemon broke the hug and gently held Sophie's shoulders. "They're with the doctors, sweetie."

"Are they okay?" Sophie asked. When Honey Lemon was silent for a moment, Sophie began to cry more. "They're going to be okay. They have to be!"

Honey Lemon hugged her daughter once more, "Shh, it's okay."

Aunt Cass was saddened at the scene, wishing she could be of more help. She walked to Gogo, Wasabi, and Fred and sat down with them. "Have you heard from the doctor yet?"

Gogo shook her head, "No."

"How bad are they?" Aunt Cass asked, dreading to hear the answer.

Nobody wanted to answer. Finally, Wasabi did, "It's bad. They were both unconscious when we brought them here."

Finally, Sophie calmed down enough for Honey Lemon to go to Aunt Cass and hug her. "I'm sorry, I should have done something, anything."

The woman hugged her daughter-in-law, "There wasn't anything you could do. There wasn't anything we could do."

Honey Lemon broke away and sat down with the rest of them, exhausted from everything that happened, but afraid to go to sleep and wake up in a nightmare, one where Tadashi and Hiro were no longer in this world. They sat there for four hours, watching the clock and waiting for the doctor to tell them something, anything except that the two Hamada brothers had died.

Sophie had long since fell asleep in Honey Lemon's lap, exhausted from worrying about her family. The others couldn't sleep as impatience gnawed at their nerves. Besides going to the restroom, they all stayed in the waiting room, the atmosphere too tense to carry on a conversation.

Two guys in scrubs walked into the waiting room, "Hamada family."

Immediately, everybody stood up, even Sophie who had woke up to the sound of the doctor's voice. Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon stepped forward, going to the doctors. Sophie began to follow Honey Lemon, but the mother stopped her. "Stay with the others, okay? I'll be right back." Once Sophie listened to her, Honey Lemon and Aunt Cass moved to where the doctors were. They walked out of the room, making sure the two women followed them.

Eventually, they stopped and turned toward them. The first one began to speak. "I'm Dr. Altraz, the head surgeon for Tadashi Hamada. The surgery went well, he's stable right now, but some of the injuries he has showed signs of infection. Several of his ribs were broken, there are gashes covering him, he has a bullet wound in his shoulder, and his back is burned. We're going to have to keep watch on him, so we're putting him in ICU overnight until he begins to improve. We're looking for him to makea full recovery, altough there's a slight chance he'll have some difficulties with mobility in his shoulder for a while."

A weight was lifted from Honey Lemon's and Aunt Cass' shoulders. They relaxed a little, knowing that Tadashi would be okay. The next doctor introduced himself, "I'm Dr. McCall, the head surgeon for Hiro Hamada. Like Tadashi, Hiro is currently stable, but we're going to keep him in ICU until he shows signs of improvement. He has a gunshot wound in his right leg and there were old wounds on his back that had been reopened, but we were able to stitch them up. What concerns me, though, is his mental state. His brain activity isn't normal, something I've never seen before."

Honey Lemon's eyes widened, "The neurocranial transmitter..."

Dr. McCall looked at the woman questioningly, "Neurocranial transmitter?"

Honey Lemon began to explain, "It was an invention Hiro made. It controlled these small robots, over a hundred of them. He said something about him running out of time when he was using them."

Aunt Cass cut in to the conversation, "He could only use them fifteen minutes. He didn't tell me what would happen if he used them any longer."

"His brain wasn't able to handle the strain from the invention, probably. The human mind has a limit on it. When you hear these stories of women lifting cars off their children, that limitation is broken in their determination to save their child, which is where their strength comes from. It could be the same case with Hiro, except that limitation was broken longer than momentarily." Dr. McCall pondered. "We'll have to see the results of this when he wakes up, which could be a few hours, days, or weeks from now. Only time will tell."

Silence settled over them until Aunt Cass asked, "When can we see them?"

"You can see them now, but only two people are allowed at a time and it has to be relatives." Dr. Altraz saw the two women share a worried look with each other. "Your cousins in the waiting room can go, as well, but the young child can't. She's not old enough and I know you don't want her seeing her family in the shape they're in."

Honey Lemon smiled, realizing the doctor was pulling a few strings for her friends, "I understand. Can you take us there, please?"

Dr. Altraz nodded, "We'll take you to Hiro first, he's the closest."

Honey Lemon and Aunt Cass followed the two doctors to the room they were keeping Hiro. Aunt Cass paused in the doorway for a moment, tearing up at the sight of her younger nephew hooked up to various machines with an oxygen mask on. Together, Honey Lemon and Aunt Cass walked over to the motionless, teenage boy and stood by his bedside. Aunt Cass gently rested her hand over his, the sight of his chest rising and falling with each breath comforting in a way.

Honey Lemon could only stand there. She kept picturing Sophie lying in the hospital bed instead of Hiro and that vision terrified her. She couldn't imagine what Aunt Cass was going through, the woman that raised both Tadashi and Hiro like sons. Now, seeing the youngest lying in a hospital room with machines attatched to him made something in Aunt Cass break. Tears streamed down her face at the thought of how close she came to losing two of the most important people in her world.

Honey Lemon wrapped and arm around Aunt Cass as the woman continued to cry. "He'll be okay. Both of them will be."

"What if they're not the same? Will they be the same after everything that happened? How can I even call myself their guardian when I couldn't even..." She paused, unable to continue.

"You told me to not blame myself, so you can't do the same. They'll be fine, Aunt Cass. Yeah, they might be hurt right now, but you know how stubborn they can be. They're not going to let this bring them down." Honey Lemon stated, hoping she spoke the truth.

Aunt Cass smiled at her, then turned to Hiro. She leaned forward and gently kissed the teen's forehead, "You better wake up soon. I have enough gray hairs already."

Honey Lemon smiled at her brother-in-law and squeezed his hand once Aunt Cass stepped away, "Thank you, Hiro, for everything." Then, they left the unconscious teen where he lay, unmoving.

They were taken to Tadashi's room next and the two went to his side just like they had Hiro. Aunt Cass watched the vitals briefly, allowing Honey Lemon some time with her husband. Honey Lemon held Tadashi's hand, "Sophie is worried about you. Everybody is. The doctors said you and Hiro were going to be okay." She began to tear up, "I need you to wake up as soon as possible, Tadashi. I need to hear your voice, I need to know that you're really okay." She stopped talking and simply gripped his hand tighter. Aunt Cass had tears streaming down her face as she watched the couple.

A nurse came in, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in here. I'll come back in a few minutes."

"It's okay." Honey Lemon stated, wiping away the tears. "We were just leaving." Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon left the room and noticed the nurse was carrying medicine to put through the IV. They didn't go back to the waiting room immediately, not wanting to return just yet. So, the two women stood in the hallway and leaned against the wall, trying to absorb the fact that their boys were safe and sound for now.

* * *

_"Wake up."_

_Tadashi's eyes scanned the corridor he was walking. It was completely white and the place smelled extremely sanitary, unnerving the older Hamada as he realized where he was. 'A hospital,' Tadashi thought, momentarily panicking. 'What happened after I passed out? Was Hiro okay? What about Honey Lemon, Sophie, Aunt Cass, and my friends? Are they all okay? Am I okay?' He stopped for a moment as a thought crossed his mind._

_'Am I dead?' Tadashi questioned, then immediately dismissed the thought and continued walking. 'No, I'm not dead. I can't be dead. This is all just a dream that I'll eventually-'. His thought was interrupted as he came to a complete stop. He had reached the end of the corridor and saw his family and friends sitting in the waiting room._

_"Tadashi, wake up." The voice was louder this time as it echoed through the hospital. _

_The man tried to walk toward his family and friends, but each step he took made the corridor seem longer and his loved ones began to move farther away from him. _

_"Tadashi."_

_Tadashi began to run, trying to catch up to his family and friends, but it was pointless. He looked around, searching for the source of the voice. "Who are you? Where are you?"_

_"Wake up."_

_Annoyed, Tadashi yelled, "How?!" He began to pace from one wall to another, running his hand through his hair as he tried to figure out what was going on._

_"Tadashi." The voice was so loud it made Tadashi's ears hurt and the man found himself trying to protect his hearing by covering his ears with the palms of his hands. The echo grew louder and louder until Tadashi couldn't stand it anymore. "What do you want?!"_

_"Come home."_

* * *

**~Four Days Later~**

A nurse moved around the room, putting up a new IV bag and trying to untangle the lines the best she could. She was the nurse for both Hamada patients and she found herself becoming attatched to the family, especially Sophie. The poor family had been through enough as it was. The nurse had overheard the family talking to a couple of police officers, telling them what happened and everything they knew. The police officers reported that the building had been completely burnt down and there were no survivors. According to them, the two Hamada brothers had been extremely lucky.

The nurse could tell as she watched the two brothers slowly heal. It would be a long process, but they would pull through eventually. She finished untangling the IV lines and began to walk out of the room, realizing the patient's eyes were open a bit. The nurse looked at him for a moment, "Mr. Hamada?"

Tadashi looked at the woman, then around the room, instantly becoming alert. He tried to sit up, but the pain from his injuries was too much and he was forced to be still. He went to pull the oxygen mask from his face, but the IV's tugged his arm a bit and the man was forced to use his other hand. He pulled the mask from his face and began breathing without it for a moment.

"Mr. Hamada, you really need to put the mask back on. Your ribs are-"

Tadashi interrupted the nurse, "Where's my family? What happened? How long have I been here?" The heartrate monitor began to steadily increase as the older Hamada grew anxious.

"You really need to calm down, Mr. Hamada. Your family is okay, they can see you after the doctor comes. Please, you have to calm down." The nurse gently urged, then nearly ran out the door to get the doctor. "Wait, what about-" Tadashi noticed the nurse was gone and sighed in annoyance.

He noticed most of his body was covered in bandages, making him look like a half-mummy. The pain he felt was more of a dull throb, the pain medicine obviously doing its job and Tadashi didn't complain. He waited impatiently for the nurse to return with a doctor, anxious to see his family and get the answers he needed. A minute later, the nurse returned with a doctor. "Hello, Tadashi. I'm Dr. Altraz, it's good to see you're finally awake." When Tadashi went to speak, the doctor held up his hand to stop him. "Your family is fine. Your wife, daughter, and friends are in the waiting room right now, they've been there about four days."

Tadashi's eyes widened for a moment, not believing that he had been unconscious for four days. "What about-"

"Your brother is okay." The doctor let those words sink in for a moment.

Tadashi sighed, relieved. "How bad is he? What about the blood that was coming from his ears?"

"We believe that was an effect of the invention Hiro made. It didn't damage his brain, luckily." Dr. Altraz paused, not wanting to deliever the next piece of information.

Tadashi guessed, "But it can still have unknown effects."

The doctor nodded, "We won't know until he wakes up."

Tadashi knew his brother could be unconscious for days or weeks. He didn't have to ask anything about that. He had studied most of that when he was programming Baymax. "Can I see my family?"

Dr. Altraz smiled and turned to the nurse, "Christine, will you please inform his family?" The nurse left the room once again and left the doctor alone with the patient. "You have broken bones, some of your injuries were infected, you have a gunshot wound, and your back is burned. However, you seem to be healing quickly, even though it hasn't even been a week."

The older Hamada knew it would take a while for the injuries to heal completely, but hearing the doctor say that made him think he would be out of here soon. "How long do I have to stay in here?"

"We'll keep you in here until we're sure you injuries are free of infection and the bullet wound heals more. Give it a few weeks, then we'll decide on what to do then." Dr. Altraz gave the man a small smile. "I know, it's going to be difficult for you to stay here that long, but you'll appreciate it when your not back in the surgery room with an infected wound."

Tadashi smiled a bit at the doctor's comment. Even though he hated hospitals, he knew it was for the best. He'd just have to hope that he recovered more quickly than the doctor anticipated.

"Tadashi?" A voice questioned from the door.

Immediately, Tadashi smiled and looked toward the doorway, "Hey."

Honey Lemon reached him in a few strides and Tadashi held her hand, gently rubbing his thumb over the skin on the top of her hand. Honey Lemon smiled, unable to say anything.

Tadashi saw her eyes filling with tears and he gently pulled her down toward him, lifting his body as far as he could, enveloping her in a one-armed hug. "I'm here, it's okay."

"I was so worried..." Honey Lemon began. "I love you."

Tadashi replied, "I know. I love you, too." He pulled away from her, the pain becoming more than a dull throb. Then, Aunt Cass came over to him, "Hey, Aunt Cass."

"Don't 'hey, Aunt Cass' me. I was worried sick and the first thing you say is 'hey'?" Aunt Cass joked, then gently hugged her nephew. "I'm glad you're okay."

While hugging his aunt, Tadashi noticed the lone figure still standing in the doorway. He pulled away from Aunt Cass and smiled at the figure, "Come here, Sophie. It's okay." Tadashi held out his hand to his daughter and watched as she slowly walked to him. Sophie began to reach for his hand, but pulled away like she had been burnt. Tadashi smiled, "You won't hurt me, Sophie."

Slowly, Sophie once again reached for her dad's hand, gently wrapping her hand around his thumb. Tadashi pulled her closer until she was next to his bedside, but the child was still afraid to touch him. He saw her looking at the bandage the was showing from his shoulder and spoke to the child again. "Have you been keeping mommy out of trouble?"

Sophie nodded, but she was barely paying attention as she glanced at the IVs and monitors. Then, Tadashi noticed the stuffed animal clutched under one of her arms. "Well, where did your new friend come from?" He gestured toward the stuffed animal.

In that moment, Sophie realized her daddy hadn't changed, even though he was hurt. She smiled and held the German Shepard stuffed animal toward Tadashi. "Fred got him for me. His name is Danny."

Tadashi smiled, "That's a great name for him."

Sophie let go of Tadashi's hand, "I want you to keep him until you get out of the hospital. He'll make you feel better, just like he made me feel better." She placed the stuffed animal in the bed beside Tadashi, being careful to not hurt her dad.

Dr. Altraz smiled at the family and he left the room. This was the reason he became a doctor. He loved to see the reunions between families. Even though some didn't turn out like he hoped, it was nice to see the love people had for each other. So, he went to his next patient.

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

**Anonymous: Bahaha, we shall see if Hiro is going to be okay. ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

**narniac4aslan: Thanks! Of course they're not out of the woods yet. :p Aw, I'm glad you like my frequent updates (even though I've been off track a few times). I won't abandon this fic! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest (Reviewed on April 11): Hmmm, is he dead? I love you guys, but I can't make any promises *grins*. I'm glad you liked how it turned out! Baha, Imaginary Hiro is awesome, probably both annoying and possibly helpful. Yeah, friendship is an amazing thing. Nope, far from over! Hopefully, I didn't leave you hanging! Thanks for reviewing!**

**aiko: Hey, aiko! Haha, you're re-reading it? Wow. I'm glad you're liking this story! I'm okay now, thanks for the concern! I hope you like this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm so so so so sorry this chapter is late! I've had a busy week and I'm exhausted! There was getting ready for prom, juggling schoolwork, preparing for final exams, going to a birthday party, having company at the house nearly every day... Anyway, I'm not wasting time with a long author's note. Thanks for the awesome support! I love you all! Now, on with the story!**

**~A Week Later~**

_Hiro looked around at the darkness that surrounded him. "Where am I? What's happening?" His voice echoed, making the situation more eerie. Whispers broke through the darkness, some sounding soothing, others malicious. _

_"I want to know about everything." A voice whispered._

_Hiro was confused, "Everything?"_

_"You're an embarrassment to everybody."_

_The teen began to look around, searching for any sign of where these voices were coming from._

_"You okay, bud?"_

_His heart began to beat quickly and he found it was becoming more difficult to breathe. "Where am I? What am I doing here?"_

_"You're going to die here, kid."_

_Hiro pressed his hands against his ears, trying to block out the voices. "Shut up!"_

_"Nobody cares about you!"_

_The teen fell to his knees, his eyes wide. "This isn't real. This can't be real. What's happening to me?"_

_"I'm sorry."_

_He began gasping for breath as panic began to set in. "I'm losing my mind..."_

_"Our lives will be better if you're dead, so quit fighting already."_

_Hiro would have laughed if he could. He wanted to quit fighting. He didn't even know what he was fighting. Why couldn't it just be over? Was he dead anyway? _

_"I trust you and it's time for you to start trusting me."_

_If he wasn't so afraid, those words would have possibly provided him comfort. However, the eternal night around him only made the panic expand, his chest tightening. Hiro clutched at his chest, trying to calm down and breathe normally._

_"Forget about all the sadness, fear, pain."_

_He tried to follow the advice, but it wasn't working. He couldn't stop the fear. He couldn't stop whatever he was going through. _

_"I...I'm scared."_

_Hiro was beyond scared, he was terrified. With his head bowed, Hiro tried to force away the panic. Then, he saw his shadow. The teen looked up and saw a light had appeared ahead. He jumped to his feet and began to run toward it as fast as he could, afraid it would disappear as quickly as it came. He felt like he was running in slow motion, his feet feeling like they were sinking in deep mud. Hiro reached toward the light and continued running until he touched the warm glow._

_"This is only the beginning."_

* * *

The teen opened his eyes slowly, the light above him burning his eyes. Finally, his eyes adjusted to the light and he was able to look at his surroundings. _A hospital... What happened? _He pulled an oxygen mask from his face and tried to sit up, but his back began to burn and ache. _What's wrong with me? _He tossed the blanket from his body and noticed the hospital gown and bandages underneath it. His leg was wrapped along with his chest and back. The teen glanced at the monitors surrounding him and it seemed everything was okay.

A nurse button sat was attached to the side of the bed and the teen grabbed it and pressed the button. He waited for about a minute before the nurse entered the room, "What do you-" She paused, looking like she saw a ghost. "You're awake..." She snapped out of her stupor, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay." The teen replied and watched as the nurse still stood in the doorway.

Finally, she turned away from him, "I'll be right back, okay?" She practically ran out of the room and the teen could hear her shoes against the tile floor. _What's her problem? _He wondered and began to look around the room once again, waiting for the woman to return. Finally, the nurse returned with another doctor.

The doctor walked forward, "Hello, my name is Dr. McCall. How are you feeling?"

The teen replied, "Fine." Before the teen could ask a question, the doctor interrupted him.

"Can you tell me what your name is?" Dr. McCall questioned, his intelligent eyes gleaming with suspicion.

The teen began to speak, "My name is..." He stopped talking and looked at his hands as he tried to concentrate. "I'm..." Panic began to swell in his chest. _My name is... _The teen looked up at the doctor and nurse. "I- I don't know." He whispered and began to look at his hands once again.

The doctor continued, "How old are you?"

The teen thought for a moment then shook his head, "I don't know."

"Do you have any relatives?" Dr. McCall asked, taking an object from the nurse.

The teen ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know..." The panic continued to increase, but he tried to push it away. "Who am I? What happened? Why am I here? How long have I-" The boy saw the syringe in the doctor's hand as the doctor inserted the needle into the IV. "What is that?"

"It's medicine to calm you down." Dr. McCall stated as the medicine began to course through the IV. "Do you remember anything at all?"

"No." The teen stated, tears beginning to fill his eyes. "I don't remember anything."

* * *

Honey Lemon, Aunt Cass, and Sophie had been in the cafeteria and was walking down the hallway toward Tadashi's room. The older Hamada was healing quickly and therapy for his shoulder would begin soon, possibly within the next day or two. Sophie held onto Honey Lemon's hand as she walked down the white hallway, watching the doctors and nurses as they walked around. Then, a doctor stopped in front of them. "Excuse me, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Honey Lemon recognized Hiro's doctor and turned toward Aunt Cass, "I'll stay with Sophie while you talk to him." Aunt Cass followed the doctor down the hallway a little and the two stopped and began talking.

Sophie could tell by the way Aunt Cass' expression changed that there was something wrong. "Mommy, what's happening?"

Honey Lemon held her daughter against her, "I don't know, sweetie. I don't know."

Aunt Cass and the doctor spoke for a a little longer before they went their seperate ways. The woman returned to Honey Lemon and Sophie with a worry-filled face. "It's about Hiro. He's okay. He's awake. But..." She paused and took a breath. "He doesn't remember anything."

Honey Lemon questioned, "About what happened? Isn't that a good thing? I mean there's a possibility, he won't have nightmares, PTSD, or-"

"He doesn't remember anything. He doesn't know who he is, how old he is, or that we're his relatives... The memories of his entire life are gone."

Honey Lemon tried to piece everything together, "He'll eventually regain his memories, right?"

"He has total amnesia. There's a chance that he'll never-" Tears filled Aunt Cass' eyes and Honey Lemon wrapped her arms around the woman and pulled her into a tight hug.

"He's still alive, Aunt Cass. That's all the matters. He's still here with us." Honey Lemon comforted the woman before they pulled apart. "When can we go see him?"

Aunt Cass wiped the stray tears from her face, "The doctor said in a few hours. He wants Hiro to have some time coping with the amnesia." Another thought struck her mind, "We have to tell the others."

Honey Lemon nodded and wondered how they would react, especially Tadashi. "Do you want to go tell the others? I'll tell Tadashi."

Aunt Cass agreed and they began to go their seperate ways. Sophie tugged on Honey Lemon's hand, "Mommy, will Hiro be okay?"

"Yes, he'll be okay with time." Honey Lemon stated, hoping the words were true.

"Will he remember us again?" Sophie questioned, looking down at the floor. "I don't want Hiro to forget about us."

Honey Lemon stopped walking and knelt down in front of her daughter, "If you believe he'll eventually remember, then he will. You just have to keep believing in him. Okay?"

The girl nodded, "Okay."

Honey Lemon smiled and rose to her feet, walking toward Tadashi's room once again. When she entered his room, he was watching television, trying to find a decent show to watch. He turned toward Honey Lemon and Sophie when they appeared. He saw the expression on Honey Lemon's face and immediately grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

Tadashi's wife sat in the chair next to him and gently held his hand. "Hiro finally woke up." She wished everything had turned out better. She wished she could find a way to avoid telling her husband, but she knew that was impossible. "He has total amnesia, Tadashi."

The man's eyes widened as he realized what that meant, "He doesn't remember anything?"

Honey Lemon shook her head and she felt Tadashi began to grip her hand tightly. "He doesn't remember anything from his past."

Tadashi muttered a curse under his breath, "Why did this have to happen? If I paid more attention, I could have done something that night. I could have-"

"Tadashi, there wasn't anything we could do." Honey Lemon stated and the man knew his wife was right.

"I want to see him." Tadashi stated.

Honey Lemon didn't know what to say. "The doctor won't let anybody see him yet. He wants to give him a few hours to come to terms with the amnesia. Besides, you're still hurt, you can't leave the hospital bed yet."

Tadashi's eyes were lit with determination, "In a few hours, I'm going to see my brother. Either you help me get a wheelchair or I walk. It's your choice, but I'm going."

Meanwhile, Aunt Cass told Gogo, Wasabi, and Fred the update on Hiro. The group of friends grew silent momentarily, trying to absorb the information. They believed Hiro would regain his memories and return to his normal self. They would be there to support the Hamada's through everything they were going through, past, present, and future. They wouldn't give up on their friends. After all, they had been through so much together and they would never think about giving up.

Regardless of how difficult things would become, they would be there to help in any way they could.

* * *

_My name is Hiro Hamada._

_I'm sixteen-years-old._

_I have a family and friends._

Those three facts were the only thing keeping Hiro sane. He stared at his hands, which seemed familiar, but he couldn't exactly remember. After asking a nurse for a mirror earlier, he was able to see his reflection. Hiro had looked at the reflection, only to find a stranger staring back at him. The teen sighed. He was terrified. He didn't remember anything, not even the wounds that constantly ached. Reminders that he was unable to remember. Instead, he mentally repeated the three things he did know.

_I'm Hiro Hamada._

_I'm sixteen-years-old._

_I have friends and a family._

Then, he added one more thing to the list.

_I have total amnesia._

Hiro picked at a thread on the blanket when Dr. McCall walked in. "Hello, Hiro." The teen looked at the doctor, his silence urging the man to continue speaking. "There's some people who wish to see you. If you're up to it, that is."

He thought for a moment, then nodded his head. If meeting these people were the only way to learn more about himself, then Hiro would agree to it. The doctor motioned for the unknown people to enter before stepping to the side.

A woman walked in first. She had a slender figure, fair skin, frizzy brown hair and green eyes that immediately began to scan Hiro. Another woman appeared behind her and Hiro noticed she was taller with lightly tanned skin, long honey-blonde hair, and green eyes. The two women stopped a few feet away from Hiro and looked at each other, trying to figure out what to say.

Hiro sighed, "Introductions would be a nice start."

The first woman smiled, "I'm Aunt Cass."

The second woman replied, "I'm Honey Lemon."

Hiro raised his eyebrow at the second woman's name, "Honey Lemon? Is that your real name?"

Honey Lemon laughed, remembering how Hiro had pretty much asked the same thing when they first met. "No, it's a nickname a friend of mine gave me."

The teen nodded in understanding, "Okay." He pointed toward Aunt Cass, "I'm assuming your my aunt." She nodded, then Hiro pointed to Honey Lemon. "What about you?"

"Sister-in-law." Honey Lemon replied.

Hiro absorbed the information, "So, what happened to me? Why am I here? The doctor wouldn't tell me anything."

The two women looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Aunt Cass turned back to Hiro, "You were badly hurt, but you're going to be okay now."

Mentally, Hiro scoffed. _Right, I have total amnesia and I'm going to be okay. _Before those words could leave his mouth, Hiro stopped, noticing the sad look in their eyes. They obviously didn't want to talk about it. Whatever happened to him had affected them, too. "When will I be able to leave this place? I hate hospitals."

The two women laughed a little. Honey Lemon replied, "You should be able to leave soon."

Suddenly, voices in the hallway began to grow louder. Nurses argued with a patient in the hallway.

"Sir, please return to your room." One voice commanded.

"You shouldn't be out of your room." Another remarked.

Honey Lemon's eyes grew dark, "He didn't." She went to the doorway and looked into the hallway. "What do you think you're doing? Who brought you a wheelchair, anyway?"

The voice replied, "Doesn't matter. Besides, I'm fine."

"You're not fine. Your still hurt and..." She paused, her fury slowly dwindling away. "Forget it, I'm going to kill Fred the next time I see him for bringing you a wheelchair."

"I never said it was Fred." The voice defended, not wanting his friend to face Honey Lemon's wrath.

Honey Lemon stepped into the room once again, "You never said it wasn't him."

The man in the wheelchair followed Honey Lemon into the room and Hiro immediately knew he was related to the man. The man stopped in the doorway momentarily before completely entering the room. "I would have been her earlier, but I had to avoid a few nurses." The man smiled, "Well, you seem to be introduced to Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon already, since Honey Lemon didn't wait on me like I asked her to."

Honey Lemon crossed her arms and gave him a warning look, "You're not supposed to be out of the hospital bed yet, Tadashi. Do you ever listen?"

The older Hamada shook his head humorously, "Nope."

Hiro and Aunt Cass laughed at the couple's bickering. Somehow, the situation wasn't weird to Hiro. It was as if he was familiar with scenes like this, but he couldn't remember it.

_Maybe having amnesia won't totally suck. These people seem nice. _A thought crossed Hiro's mind once again and the fear returned. _Even at that, how did I get here? How did I end up with amnesia? How did I end up in the hospital? What happened exactly? Am I ever going to find out? Will these people tell me eventually? _

Finally, another thought crossed his mind. One he wondered about more than any of the others.

_Who is Hiro Hamada?_

_Who am I?_

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

**narniac4aslan: Yeah, it was a calm chapter, the calm will never last, though. ;) I'm glad your on the edge of your seat, but you're worrying me. I'm afraid you'll fall out of the chair, so scoot back a bit. :p I LOVE Sophie! She's possibly my favorite character to write! Yeah, the stuffed dog... *cries* Haha, I'm glad you like Imaginary Hiro! It kind of throws in a comic relief in the story. You'll probably see more of him. Hmm, cool theory! Yeah, there's a ton of things to wrap up! And, now you have me curious. I would like to hear this suspicion of yours. ;) Thanks for reviewing! **

**Anonymous (Reviewed on April 20): Hahaha, you shall see. ;) Thanks for reviewing! **

**hedgi at work: Yep, definitely an awww moment. ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

**aiko: Bahaha, glad to know you really love my story! It means so much! Yep, I'm a hundred percent fine! Busy, but fine! Sorry this chapter was late, but hopefully what happened made up for it being late. **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: You guys are awesome! 295 reviews, 240 favorites, and 303 follows... Wow... I don't know what to say other than thanks for your amazing support! I'm sorry this chapter is so late! I've been busy getting ready for my high school graduation, which is a week away now. Plus, preparing for my final exam in AP Calculus has officially murdered my mind. Well, what was left of it, anyway. Thank you for your understanding, kind words, and support! I love you all and I hope you enjoy this next chapter, even though it's not action-packed like the others! I can't afford to give you guys heart attacks from action and cliffhangers. :p**

Hiro was certain of one thing in his life.

He hated crutches.

After being in the hospital a few weeks, Dr. McCall said Hiro could leave once his wounds were healed well enough. A wheelchair was offered to him and Hiro was beginning to regret not taking the nurses up on the offer; it would definitely be less painful than crutches. They dug into his arms when he put his weight on them and he found himself wanting to use one crutch at a time, trying to move in a sort of walking motion. After about twenty minutes, he was finally able to move down one of the hospital hallways without stopping or stumbling.

The teen thought he was doing well until he made it to the end of the hallway and realized he hadn't tried to turn with the crutches. He pivoted on his good leg and managed to turn around enough to go back the way he came. Of course, he wasn't alone. Wasabi and Fred walked alongside him, making sure he didn't fall. At the end of the hallway where he had just came from, the rest of Hiro's family and friends waited for him, glad to see his progress from being bed-ridden to walking with crutches.

Hiro felt guilty every time he saw his family and friends. He hated that he couldn't remember them and he could see how much this was hurting them. Hiro desperately wanted to find out what happened to him, but he knew whatever happened had altered their lives as well. Somehow, the teen managed to drown his curiosity as his condition slowly improved. When he reached the others, he was out of breath and the pain was beginning to kick in, making the teen wonder if he was simply unfit or if his body was exhausted from trying to recover. Recover from what, he didn't know and a part of him began to think he would never find out.

A nurse smiled as she watched the younger brother adapt to the crutches. There had been a time where the teen couldn't move from the bed due to the pain from his injuries. In fact, many people thought he wouldn't survive. However, she watched his improvement over the span of a few weeks. His spirit and will had never faltered as he went through therapy and talked to a psychiatrist. As of right now, the only thing Hiro Hamada lacked was memories, but he didn't seem to worry about it too much.

Tadashi stood in the hallway, his arm in a sling and several bandages still wrapped around his body. He watched his brother, one thought in his mind. _What happens now? _Ever since Tadashi woke up, he wondered what became of the Boss and his followers. Did they die in the fire or did they manage to find a way out like they had? These questions plagued his every waking moment and nightmares, making the older Hamada's stomach churn with worry. Police reported finding bodies in the fire's aftermath, but they were unable to be identified. Since Tadashi didn't know how many people were originally in the building, it was impossible to tell if anybody had escaped.

When Hiro made it back to the others, the nurse began writing on a clipboard. "From the looks of it, you'll be able to go home today, Hiro."

The teen smiled. The thought of being home was strange to him, since he couldn't remember it, but it was comforting at the same time. He hoped being home would spark his memories and give him the answers he needed. As Aunt Cass signed the paperwork for Hiro to be released from the hospital, Hiro sat with the others, trying to ignore the pain he felt from walking. His back ached and his leg burned where the wound was. _Bullet wound. _Hiro thought as he closed his eyes momentarily. Even though Hiro didn't know what happened to him, he knew he had been shot in the leg. He had watched the nurses change the bandage and clean the wound one day. When he saw the circular-shaped wound, his mind screamed bullet wound. A sick feeling rose in his stomach and Hiro had to look away until it was bandaged again. He knew his wounds had been serious and they were constant reminders of his ordeal and amnesia. However, the teen still had not seen the wounds on his back.

Those hurt the worst out of all of them. Every breath he took made a shockwave of pain surge through his back and he was unable to pinpoint exactly where the wounds were. When he was allowed to take a shower for the first time since the ordeal, the nurses made sure he didn't see his reflection. Hiro remembered the doctor saying something about how it would most likely hinder his recovery if he saw the shape his body was in. Hiro thought it was crap, though. After all, if he could take a bullet wound to the leg, then his back couldn't be as bad. Right? Hiro already decided on one thing: when he got home, he was going to figure out just how badly he was injured. If he didn't find out, he was going to go insane.

Honey Lemon's voice snapped Hiro from his thoughts, "Are you ready?"

Startled, Hiro slightly jumped. "Yeah." He grabbed his crutches and carefully stood up, hiding the fact that the pain made him want to sit down again. Hiro followed Honey Lemon, Gogo, and Aunt Cass to the elevator. Wasabi and Fred still walked beside the injured teen and Tadashi walked beside of Wasabi, holding Sophie's hand. Hiro was glad when they made it to the car. He carefully climbed in, which was a bit difficult as he tried to avoid hitting his wounds, then put on his seatbelt. Honey Lemon put the crutches in the main back of the vehicle before getting in the driver's seat. Aunt Cass took her own vehicle back to the Lucky Cat Cafe and Honey Lemon began to follow Aunt Cass.

Sophie realized they were going in a different direction, "I thought we were going home?"

Honey Lemon smiled in the rearview mirror, "We're going to stay with Aunt Cass for a while."

Both Sophie and Hiro were confused. However, the young girl simply shrugged and began to look out the window again. The gears began working in Hiro's mind as he tried to find a good reason for not returning home. He couldn't find a reasonable answer, so he went along with it. Somehow, Hiro knew his memories would return. When they arrived to their destination, Hiro's confusion grew. "Why are we at a cafe?"

"This is where Aunt Cass lives." Tadashi stated, removing the seatbelt with one hand. "She has an apartment over the cafe."

Hiro continued to stare at the place. He knew it was familiar, but it kind of felt like he was experiencing deja vu. His head began to hurt and the teen closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to get rid of the headache. Tadashi and Honey Lemon saw this action and their hope began to grow, recalling what the doctor had said.

_"Hiro could experience frequent headaches and even a feeling of deja vu. Don't be alarmed if this happens though. That's a sign of neurological improvement. Once this happens, there's a chance he will regain his memories more quickly."_

Once inside the cafe, Hiro continued to look around, taking in every detail of this familiar yet unfamiliar place. The sense of deja vu never left, annoying the teen more than he let on. It was like trying to think of somebody's name that seemed to be just on the tip of your tongue. Something rubbed against Hiro's uninjured leg and the teen looked down to see a large cat at his feet. The animal inspected the crutched, pressing its nose against the cool metal before looking up at the teen and meowing.

Sophie picked the cat up and cradled it in her arms. "His name's Mochi."

"Mochi?" Hiro didn't bother commenting on the strange name. Instead, he let go of one of the handles on the crutches and began to pet the animal. Eventually, the feline jumped to the floor, walking away from them as if tired of the attention.

While the adults began to talk and Sophie chased the cat, Hiro began to explore this new place. The more he walked with the crutches, the easier it became and the teen was glad for it. Not too long ago, he was unable to leave the hospital bed. Hiro looked at the photos on the walls, trying to remember where they were taken and when. There was a photo of him and Aunt Cass in what looked like a park, unaware of their picture being taken. Another photo showed Hiro and Tadashi at a table, holding ice cream cones in their hands and smiling at the camera. There was a picture of Honey Lemon in a wedding dress, Tadashi dressed in a tux with his arm around her waist and both had wedding cake icing on their face. There was a group picture of Tadashi, Honey Lemon, Gogo, Fred, and Wasabi in front of a sign that said SFIT. There was a picture of a small baby dressed in a pink outfit and Hiro assumed it was Sophie.

He couldn't hold back a smile as he looked at the pictures. Everybody looked so happy and carefree, as if nothing bad could ever happen in their lives. Seeing them now, Hiro knew that wasn't true. The people in the photos were not the same people in the present. They had changed from the time these photos were taken. Hiro moved to go back to the others, accidentally bumping his arm against the wall. "Ow..." He muttered and moved away from the wall. "Stupid wall."

A strange noise came from the corner of the room and Hiro slowly turned toward the noise, not knowing what to expect. _What the... What is that? _A device sat in the corner of the room, but an inflatable _creature _rose from the device. Hiro simply stared, not knowing whether to attempt to run or stay still and hope it doesn't come closer. The thing began to move and it stepped out of the device, slowly maneuvering around objects in the room and getting closer to the teen.

"Uh... Guys?" Hiro called toward the others, but they failed to hear him.

He was really tempted to run, but he wondered how that would work with crutches. Hiro looked at the stairs that were to his right and wondered if he could make it up them without that thing following him. As Hiro weighed his options, the strange thing stopped in front of him. The teen held his breath, waiting for the thing to attack him or something. He flinched when it raised its hand. "Hello, I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion."

Hiro didn't know what to do or say. "Personal healthcare companion?" He began to study the thing. "And... what are you, exactly?"

"I am a robot. How are you, Hiro?" Baymax questioned. "I will scan you now."

Then teen snapped out of his confusion, "Don't scan me."

"I see you've met Baymax." Tadashi stated from the doorway as he entered the room. "Baymax, cancel the scan."

Hiro began to focus on the robot, "Where did you get something like this?"

Tadashi chuckled a bit, "I built him when I was a student at SFIT. It took a while and a lot of sleepless nights, but it was worth it."

The teen's jaw dropped, "You built this? That's amazing!" Hiro still stared at the robot, "I wish I could build something like that."

"Yep. And, newsflash, you can. You just don't remember." Tadashi stated. "You love robotics, just like me. I guess it runs in the family. Our father loved it when he was alive."

Baymax looked at Hiro, "I cannot deactivate until you are satisfied with your care."

Hiro stated, "I'm satisfied with your care." He watched as Baymax turned around and returned to the charging station, deflating until the device closed completely. "That is so cool!"

"It's a slow process, but soon there will be healthcare companions just like Baymax in hospitals around the world." Tadashi remarked, then looked back toward the room where the others were. "Anyway, Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon are cooking. Well, Honey Lemon's cooking, Aunt Cass is baking. Do you want to hang out with the rest of us or rest until the food is ready?"

Only then did Hiro realize how exhausted he was. "Resting sounds like a good idea."

Tadashi nodded, understanding. After all, he had been able to leave the hospital before Hiro, but he refused to since Hiro was still there. After having such a busy day, Tadashi's little brother had to be tired. "You'll have to sleep on the couch. I don't think it's a good time for you to go upstairs yet."

Hiro smiled, "Yeah, probably not a good idea." The teen moved to the couch and carefully laid down on his side. He couldn't lay on his back because of the wounds there, so he was confined to sleeping on his side, which didn't bother him much. Almost instantly, Hiro went to sleep. Tadashi smiled and attempted to put a blanket over his brother's sleeping form, cursing because he could only use one arm. Another hand grabbed the blanket and Tadashi found himself smiling at Honey Lemon as she helped him drape the blanket over the teen.

Tadashi wrapped his good arm around his wife's waist and the two returned to the others.

**(Line Break)**

_"Well, well, well. You're back again I see." A voice stated in the darkness._

_Hiro looked around, unable to see anything. "Who are you?"_

_The voice laughed, "The real question is: who are you? Don't you remember your last visit here?"_

_"Last visit? What are you talking about? Where am I?" Hiro questioned, still trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. _

_"You still don't remember? Now, that's entertaining!" The voice laughed more. "You had such a wonderful, easy life, too... Just kidding."_

_Hiro growled, "If you know so much about my old life, then tell me!"_

_"Nah, it won't be as fun that way. I'll let you figure it out on your own." The voice mocked, then a figure stepped out of the shadows._

_Hiro couldn't move. "Wait... There's no way... You're."_

_"Let me introduce myself." The figure held out a hand, "Hello, I'm Hiro Hamada. Now, who are you?" He brought his hand back to his side, "That's right, you don't know! Now, that's just sad. I wonder how you'll react once you remember... Talk about entertaining."_

_The teen grew curious, "What do you mean?"_

_"Come on, do you really think you got those wounds from a car accident or something like that? I'll put it to you this way, Hiro. There are people out there that hate your guts, they want to see you dead. You might feel safe right now, but how long do you think that will last?" The other Hiro argued._

_"Why are you telling me this? Just tell me what happened to me! Quit being so cryptic!" Hiro yelled, clenching his fists._

_The other Hiro began to walk away, "I'm telling you this for one reason only: if you die, I die. I don't feel like dying yet, so that's why I'm telling you. As for what happened to you, I'll let you figure that out on your own." The other Hiro disappeared, but his voice echoed in the darkness. "A final warning to you Hiro: watch your back."_

**(Line Break)**

**Guest Reviews:**

**Anonymous: Thanks for reviewing! Sorry you're heart-broken. Maybe future chapters will mend your heart... Or shatter it more. :p**

**The Amazing Cat: Yep, amnesia. I agree, the poor family and friends. They've been through a lot already. I hope to see you again! Thanks for reviewing!**

**IamMeWhoAreYou: First off, awesome guest name. It really made me think for a minute for deeper meanings. Anyway, back on topic. I'm glad you like this story! Sadly, torture happens. I've never been tortured nor have I seen anyone tortured (closest I've been tortured was the few times I was beat up by gangs of bullies), but it is real. The hurt, pain, fear... All of it. Anyway, thank you for reviewing and I hope I didn't depress you too much with this response. I hope to see you next chapter!**

**Guest (Reviewed on May 5): *backs away slowly* Don't kill me... If you do, you won't be able to read the next chapter! :p I felt like the story would have been over early if I made everything go back to normal, which led me to the amnesia. I'll go into more detail with Hiro's amnesia, don't worry. Thanks for reviewing!**

**narnia4aslan: Cool theory, I would have never thought about it! Hmm... Callaghan... I forgot about him... *begins thinking of a way to bring him into the story*. Baha, I couldn't end the story like 'and they lived happily ever after'. Not that quickly, anyway. :p I'm glad you strapped in! Now, I don't have to worry about you getting hurt. ;)**

**Wheeee: Hopefully this update met your expectations. ;) Thanks for reviewing!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated sooner. I graduated last Sunday and when I got home, I had to pack for vacation. I just got back Friday and, unfortunately, managed to get a bad sunburn, which made me unable to even move my arms for about two days. Anyway, I'm sorry for the late update and replies to the reviews you all have sent. I love you all, don't forget that! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it is late. I promise, I'll try to get better! Sorry it's a bit short, but I figure the next chapter will definitely be longer! If there's any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, I'm sorry, I didn't even proofread this before posting.**

A bead of cold sweat trickled down the sleeping figure's head as his sleep was disturbed by the nightmare he was trapped in. Flashes of lightning lit the room completely before retreating as quickly as it came. Thunder raged outside and the resounding boom it made finally woke the person from his tortured slumber. Heart pounding, Hiro clutched his chest and looked around the room to make sure he was truly safe. Realizing he had a nightmare, the teen sighed in relief, but still clutched his chest, the bullet in his nightmare still plaguing his mind.

The teen sat up, his injured leg hardly bothering him after being allowed to heal a few weeks. Even though Hiro thought the crutches were invented by Satan, he was thankful for them in the end. Keeping weight off his leg made his wound heal more quickly and the crutches could be thanked for that. And Honey Lemon and Aunt Cass constantly nagging him the few times he didn't use them. Hiro glanced at his shirt and saw the gray color was now darker than it should have been. Immediately, he knew he had broke out in a cold sweat from the nightmare.

After turning on the lamp next to the couch, the teen reached for his crutches, wanting to get up and take a shower. He stood up, balancing on one foot with the help of the crutches and painfully began to move to the bathroom closest to him. Before he reached the door, a shrill, blood-chilling scream shattered the atmosphere. Startled, Hiro lost his concentration on moving and fell against the wall, but he was upright in an instant. Another scream rang from upstairs and the teen quickly moved to the stairs, abandoning the crutches. Without thinking he stepped onto the first step and barely registered the pain he felt in his injured leg. He moved up the stairs and quickly limped toward Sophie's room.

By the time he made it to the doorway, Aunt Cass, Tadashi, and Honey Lemon were already in the room. Honey Lemon sat on the side of the bed with her arms wrapped around her trembling child. Out of breath, Hiro took in the scene for a moment longer until he was able to speak. "Is everything okay?"

Tadashi turned toward him, "She had a night terror."

Aunt Cass shook her head, saddened, "Poor thing."

Once Sophie had stopped crying, Honey Lemon asked. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Sophie had another tear trickle down her face, "I-It's too scary."

"Was it about the old house?" Tadashi asked, trying to coax the story out of the scared child.

The child nodded, "It was the night those mean men took you and mommy away, except..." Another tear fell down her face. "Th-they killed you. Then, they broke the bedroom door down and killed mommy. The w-window wouldn't open and-" A sob stopped her from talking anymore as she held on to her mother, afraid to let her go.

Honey Lemon held her daughter tightly, "Shhh, it's okay. You're safe."

Aunt Cass felt a tide of sadness wash over her. She hated what happened to her family. She hated to see them suffer from the aftermath and wished she could do something about it, but it was impossible. The damage was already done.

Tadashi's hand formed a fist until the knuckles turned white. Angered at the sight of his baby girl suffering, it took all his willpower to not give in to the anger. In that moment, he didn't regret shooting the man that made their lives a living Hell.

Hiro wasn't sure what was going on. He was still trying to piece together everything that happened, since people refused to tell him anything. He knew whatever happened to the family had been bad, but he didn't realize the severity until he saw Sophie break down from the night terror. _Who were the men she was talking about? Could I somehow find out who they are? Where do I even start? _Hiro continued to think and he thought back to everything that had been said. No matter where he started, it would definitely take some time, but it would work out. Hiro would regain the memories he lost and, after thinking back on the conversation, he knew where to start.

Once Sophie was asleep in Honey Lemon's arms, the mother managed to get her back in bed and covered her up. Tadashi returned the stuffed dog to Sophie's arms and the two parents gently kissed their daughter's forehead before everybody left the room. Aunt Cass, Tadashi, and Honey Lemon whispered to each other as they began to walk downstairs. Immediately, Hiro stopped, a new dilemma arising. "Uh, guys..." The others turned around and Hiro felt the impending doom. "Can somebody go downstairs and get my crutches, please?"

Realization dawned on the three people. Simultaneously, they asked one question. "How did you get upstairs?"

Hiro smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, "Walked."

Aunt Cass immediately turned into Medusa, "What were you thinking?!"

Honey Lemon joined her, "You could have hurt yourself!"

Tadashi sighed, knowing his wife and aunt could handle scolding Hiro. While they were busy yelling at Hiro, Tadashi went to get the crutches, noticing they were laying on the floor apart from each other. Understanding what happened, Tadashi walked back upstairs, trying to figure out a way to save Hiro from the fury of two angry women. As he walked back upstairs, Tadashi whispered to Honey Lemon and Aunt Cass, "Sophie just went back to sleep. Do you want to wake her up again? Let he sleep in peace."

That shut the two up immediately and they cast worried glances toward Sophie's room, fearing they woke the child up. Both of them looked at Hiro one last time, "Don't you dare do something stupid like that again."

Once they left, Hiro smiled at his brother. "Thanks for distracting them."

Tadashi handed Hiro the crutches, "Don't mention it. Besides, from the looks of your crutches, you were in a hurry to get upstairs. I should be the one thanking you." Hiro didn't know what to say, so he remained silent. "And I won't tell Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon you lied to them."

Confused, Hiro asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't walk up the stairs, did you?" Tadashi watched as Hiro secured the crutches.

Hiro chuckled, "More like half ran, half stumbled, but you get the idea. How about we never mention it, especially in front of Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon?"

"Sounds good." Tadashi turned and walked downstairs. "If you start moving now, you'll probably make it downstairs by sunrise."

Hiro glared, "Ha ha, very funny." He tried to step down with the crutches and narrowly avoided going down the stairs on his face. Deciding that wasn't the best approach, he turned sideways and tried to move down the stairs one crutch and foot at a time, which didn't work either. Tadashi stood at the bottom of the stairs, worried for his brother's safety. If he could, he would have simply carried him down, but with his shoulder still hurt, it would be impossible.

Annoyance filled Hiro's eyes, "Screw it." He laid the crutches on the stairs and pushed them, watching in satisfaction as they scooted across the steps and stopped at Tadashi's feet. "Hold those for me."

"What are you doing?" Tadashi asked, more worried than before. His question was answered when Hiro began to hop on one leg from step to step, not stopping. "You idiot, you're going to break your-"

Hiro made it to the bottom of the stairs and took a deep breath, tired. "Neck? Well, I didn't. Now, I'm going back to sleep. There's still a few more hours until sunrise, you know?" Hiro took the crutches away from Tadashi and moved back to the couch, ignoring the pain in his leg. Tadashi remained where he was for a moment, believing his brother lacked common sense, before finding Honey Lemon and Aunt Cass.

* * *

Hiro dug through drawers, searching for the one thing that would either answer most of his questions or give him more to think about. "Come on, where is it?" Hiro muttered under his breath, casting a glace over his shoulder, making sure nobody was behind him. From what he could hear, the others were in the kitchen, leaving Hiro alone in the corner, searching the room for any sign of what he was looking for.

His hand grasped another piece of paper and the teen began to read it. However, the sound of footsteps startled him and the teen ran back to the couch, sitting down quickly before the person could enter the room. "Hiro, we're going to go shopping. Do you want to come?"

He shook his head, "No, thanks, Honey Lemon. I'm a bit tired." That wasn't a lie. Hiro had spent a few nights digging through drawers and cabinets in various rooms. He was exhausted. "How long will you be gone?"

"With Sophie, Tadashi, and Aunt Cass, it's hard to tell. Maybe two hours, three at the most." Honey Lemon stated, noticing the dark circles beneath the teen's eyes. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No, I'm good." Hiro stated and Honey Lemon left. A few minutes later, Hiro heard the sound of an engine and his family drove away. Meanwhile, Hiro held the paper in his hand, grinning in victory. That grin faltered when he realized one problem. The teen smacked his forehead, "How am I going to do this when I can barely walk?"

Instead, Hiro used the computer Aunt Cass had brought downstairs to figure out what to do next. After a few minutes, Hiro had everything he needed, except a plan to get there. He wrote down the directions on a piece of paper and stuck it in his pocket. Then, he picked up the phone and called for a taxi to pick him up. Within a few minutes, he was in the backseat of the taxi, looking out the window at his surroundings, waiting impatiently to reach his destination.

* * *

"What mall closes at five o'clock on the weekend?" Aunt Cass ranted as she unlocked the door to the cafe.

Honey Lemon tried to calm her down. "They were renovating some of the areas of the building. It wasn't really their fault. They have to get the work done." They walked into the building and Aunt Cass threw her keys on a small table behind the counter.

"Why can't they do that in the winter when it's cold and there's nobody out?" Aunt Cass mumbled. "I really wanted to get that new bakeware set and this was the last day it was on sale."

"Maybe it'll go on sale again..." Honey Lemon replied calmly, then went into the living room. She set her stuff down against the wall. "Hiro, the mall was closed, so we-" She walked over to the couch and discovered her brother-in-law wasn't there. "Hiro?" She moved toward the bathroom, but found the door open and lights off. Nobody was in there. The panic began to set in. She called for Tadashi and Aunt Cass and they immediately began searching for Hiro. When they met back in the living room, Aunt Cass had the phone in her hand, ready to call the police.

"Wait." Tadashi stated and moved over to the laptop. It had been open when he left, now the laptop was completely shut. He searched through the history until he found what he was looking for. "I know where he is."

* * *

"Can you wait for me, please?" Hiro asked the cabdriver as he stepped out of the taxi.

The man nodded, "It'll cost you more money."

"That's fine." Hiro stated and began to move up the sidewalk. A feeling of severe deja vu came over him like a tidal wave, but he couldn't figure out why. He didn't remember this place, he wasn't even sure he had ever been here before. But the feeling still lingered. Sophie had said something about her nightmare taking place back in the old house. For her to be so attached to Hiro, he must have came here often or even lived here once.

He opened the door and the creak it made echoed throughout the house. Hiro took a deep breath before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

**Guest (Reviewed on May 24): Haha, I'm glad your looking forward to him seeing his back. Is there a double meaning: definitely. ;) Thanks for reviewing and I hope you have a fantasmic intergalactic superific day as well!**

**KungfuKittyKat: Yeah, really. Just getting the feeling of deja vu annoys me when it hits me. Thanks for reviewing!**

**narniac4aslan: Haha, yeah, you did! Yep, I get what you're saying. It is a bit weird if you think about it, though. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the graduation wish!**

**Bloop: Aw, thank you! I'll answer that for you right now. Hiro is still a genius, he just doesn't know it (if that makes sense). Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest (Reviewed May 26): It has been a little while, but let's just say you were probably just bored out of your wits. :p Haha, of course the subconscious Hiro had to be mysterious. There definitely wouldn't be any fun if he wasn't. ;) I'm glad you're excited for what's going to happen next! Thanks for reviewing!**

**fyphoniex: Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short! I wanted this one to be longer, but I didn't have the time. I'm not going to be able to access my computer throughout the week, so I thought I would update this earlier than normal. I didn't want you guys to have to wait a long time. Sorry if this chapter feels a bit rushed, but I have important family matters to take care of and I knew I wouldn't be able to update on time if I didn't do it tonight. I hope you enjoy this chapter, though, even though it is shorter than most. Thanks to everybody that reviewed, followed, or favorited this story! You guys are awesome! Also, the song that's inspiring nearly the rest of this story is "Nightmare" by Arshad. Oh, and the video game "inFamous Second Son". Great game, I suggest you go watch a walkthrough of it on YouTube, you'll get hooked. The interaction between the two brothers in the game are amazing! Best game ever! Anyway, I'm rambling... I hope you enjoy!**

At first glance, the house was like any other. Neat, organized, clean, pictures were hanging up on the wall... Hiro took all this in as he walked, looking around to see if there was anything that would spark a memory. Everything was familiar to him, but he didn't know how. It was like this house had been in another life of his, which it had. However, the familiarity made Hiro believe he had been here before. He continued walking through the small hallway until he came to the kitchen. That was when he realized why Sophie had been so terrified of her nightmare.

Glass was scattered on the kitchen floor, various objects were knocked over, a few chairs were broke, and blood spatter added a hint of red to the once clean kitchen. Hiro paused in the hallway, staring into the kitchen, "What happened here?" He stepped into the doorway and immediately stopped. He had been here. He was sure of it. He had stood here in this doorway and something bad had happened. How Hiro knew, he didn't know or understand. Maybe a memory had flickered somewhere within his brain, lighting up his senses momentarily. With his senses heightened, Hiro began to feel something he thought was not possible in his state.

Fear. Terror. Hiro's heart began to beat quickly in his chest and he immediately backed out of the kitchen into the hallway. Gasping for breath, Hiro looked around, afraid of the house. Afraid something or somebody was here, lurking in the shadows. He had to leave this hallway and, soon, the house. Hiro knew he wouldn't be able to handle it in here. The atmosphere was just too thick with fear, sadness, and anger.

The teen moved to the stairs and looked up them. He didn't want to go upstairs, but he was determined to figure out why this house had such an impact on his former life, the one he didn't remember. Cautiously, he climbed up the stairs, checking the rooms to make sure there was nobody in them. He stopped in one room when he noticed it was messed up just like the kitchen. Hiro stepped inside, not bothering to shut the door behind him. Inside the room, a dresser was turned over, random objects were lying on the floor, and there was small drops of blood on the carpet.

Hiro took a shaky breath and walked over to the window, touching the pane with his hand before raising the window. Intense pain shot through the teen's head, making him dig his fingers into his temples. The pain lessened a few seconds later to Hiro's relief. He stood upright once again and began to look around the room. Hiro realized there was no way to force his memories to come back to him. This trip had been for nothing. The teen sighed, but found himself being pulled to another room. Hiro took a step inside and noticed it was the bathroom.

Confused, Hiro stood in the doorway for a moment. Then, he took a step inside and found himself face to face with his own reflection. The mirror seemed to mock him and another pain coursed through the teen's head, making him drop his crutches and grab onto the sink. "Why is this happening?" The teen muttered, digging his fingers into his temples in a futile attempt to stop the headache. In Hiro's mind, the mirror still laughed at him, mocked him. He wanted to shatter the stupid thing, but he knew he would only end up hurting himself. Then, something dawned on Hiro. The mirror.

Aunt Cass, Honey Lemon, and Tadashi didn't want Hiro to climb upstairs with the crutches, afraid he would fall. That only left Hiro with the bathroom downstairs, but it didn't have a mirror in it. When he asked Tadashi about it, his brother told him there had never been one in there. However, Hiro knew it was a lie. There were tiny holes in the wall from where nails or screws had supported a mirror. At that time, Hiro didn't really worry much about the mirror. It wasn't anything important. Only, now, it was.

Hiro stared at his reflection for a moment. He remembered how he woke up in the hospital, hurting all over, but he had only been able to see his chest, stomach, arms, and legs. Not once had he been able to see his back. Even in the hospital, the bathroom did not have a mirror, but all the bathrooms in the patients' rooms were like that. Hiro let go of the sink and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. Gently, he began to pull the material over his head and held his shirt in his hand. He turned around and the reflection in the mirror turned as well.

The shirt fell from Hiro's hand onto the floor.

* * *

Aunt Cass drove quickly, going over the speed limit, but not caring. Tadashi sat in the passenger seat while Honey Lemon and Sophie sat in the backseat. "Mommy, do I have to go back in the old house? I don't want to."

Honey Lemon ran a hand through Sophie's hair, "No, sweetie, you don't have to go in if you don't want to."

"Why did Hiro go?" Sophie asked.

"He wanted to try to remember." Honey Lemon stated, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.

Tadashi pointed at the taxi in front of the house, "He's still here."

Aunt Cass parked the car next to the curb and they all stepped out of the car. Sophie grabbed onto Honey Lemon's hand, afraid of being back at the house. Noticing her child's fear, Honey Lemon looked at the other two. "Go on, I'll stay here with Sophie."

Tadashi and Aunt Cass walked through the door and into the house. They checked downstairs for Hiro, but realized he wasn't there. They began to walk upstairs. "Hiro?" Aunt Cass called out, but didn't receive a reply. "Hiro?"

They made it to the top of the stairs and began to check the rooms. "Hiro? Where are you?" Tadashi called out into the silence, wishing Hiro would answer already. The older Hamada moved to another room, "Hir-" He stopped, frozen in the doorway. Inside the bathroom, Hiro still stood with his back to the mirror, his eyes wide with sheer terror and confusion. Tadashi took a step forward, "Hiro..."

Tears streamed down Hiro's face, falling to the floor, and the teen trembled uncontrollably. He couldn't speak or move, he could only stare at the scars of his mangled back. Even in the mirror, Hiro could read what was etched into his skin.

_Broken._

In that moment, Hiro Hamada realized that his past was darker than he thought. He was broken beyond repair. Light-headed, the teen turned around and backed into the wall, collapsing onto the ground. Panic began to overwhelm him and the teen found it was becoming impossible to breathe. His face began to turn red from the lack of oxygen and a weight pressed against his chest, making his attempts at inhaling turn into small gasps for breath. Tadashi immediately knelt down in front os his brother. "Hiro, you have to snap out of it!"

The tears continued to fall and the fact that he couldn't breathe made the teen panic even more, one hand clutching at his chest. Tadashi laid a hand on Hiro's shoulder and the teen's other hand closed firmly around the fabric of Tadashi's shirt sleeve, his knuckles white. "You have to calm down, Hiro..." Tadashi tried to think of a way to comfort the teen, but he didn't know how. Aunt Cass stood in the doorway, her hand over her mouth to hide the quivering of her lip. Hiro still wasn't breathing properly and Tadashi realized his attempts at calming his brother down weren't helping.

"Hiro, it's all in your head. You're here now and you're safe." Tadashi began talking, hoping his words were getting through to his brother. "I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. Take a deep breath and focus on letting the air go to your stomach, not your chest." Tadashi paused for a moment, waiting for Hiro to do as he said.

However, Hiro continued to gasp for air. "C-can't."

"Yes, you can. You just have to try, now breathe with me, okay?" Tadashi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "One." He watched as Hiro took a deep breath, his stomach expanding as he inhaled, then deflating as he exhaled. The teen coughed and continued to gasp for breath, squeezing his eyes shut from the pain in his chest. It felt like he was being stabbed or having a heart attack. It was terrifying. "Two." Tadashi repeated the action and watched Hiro do the same. "Three. Start counting with me, Hiro."

Hiro took a deep, shaky breath and released it. "F-four." The pain in his chest began to leave and the teen found himself able to breath more easily. "Five." Hiro took another breath and exhaled too quickly, going into a coughing fit. He took another deep breath, "S-Six." Another. "Seven." The two brothers continued this until they reached seventeen, which was when Hiro's breathing finally returned to normal.

Hiro relaxed, his head against the wall as the tears still cascaded down his face. "What happened to me?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hiro, I don't know if-" Tadashi began, but was immediately interrupted.

"I have to know. I can't keep living like this!" Hiro's voice grew louder, but he found he was exhausted from the panic attack. "What happened to me? I know it wasn't an accident. I was tortured, but for what reason? Why did that have to happen to me? What did I do to deserve this?"

Tadashi looked to Aunt Cass for help, but she didn't know what to say. The older Hamada looked back at his brother and saw the defeated look in his eyes.

"Tadashi, I have to know." Hiro stated, his voice shaking. When Tadashi still refused to answer him, Hiro continued to plea. "Tadashi, _please._ I can't keep doing this. I can't." A sob erupted from the teen's chest. "_I can't." _

At that moment, Tadashi wrapped his arms around Hiro and allowed his little brother to cry into his shirt. "I'll tell you what I know, but let's get out of here first." Hiro nodded, realizing he felt protected in his brother's arms. It was the safest he had felt since he woke up in the hospital.

* * *

A man watched the house, hidden out of sight. He took note of the woman and child in front of the house, waiting for the people inside. When three people emerged from the house, the man smiled and pulled out a radio. "Target confirmed."

_"Report back to base." _Another voice sounded over the radio. _"It's time we plan our next move."_

The man answered, "Yes, sir."

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

**Stephi: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! And, thanks for congratulating me on graduating!**

**narniac4aslan: Haha, a haunted house vibe definitely describes it perfectly. I love Tadashi and Hiro's brotherly interaction! They're my favorite! As to the answer to your question about Hiro seeing his scars, was that good enough? **

**KungfuKittyKat: Yep, Hiro's still Hiro. Well, kind of, I guess. :p I hope you enjoy the future chapters as well!**

**Karen: Wow, 12 hours? That's a long time, but I'm glad you liked it! Now, to answer your questions. I didn't mean for the part of Hiro hating hospitals to be a memory, just a fact that he hated hospitals. I guess you can say that it was just a vibe he got. Hmm, I'm going to have to check out that Wattpad story. I'm a member on there, so I should be able to find it easily. Thanks for telling me about it! I hope to see you next chapter! Thanks for the review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. My grandmother passed away, which was the family matters I was talking about last chapter. She lived almost four hours away, so I stayed at her house with other family members since the 16th and we just got back the other day. Anyway, let's get on with the story, but first... Thank you all for your patience, support, and kind words! Love you guys! Enjoy, even though this isn't the best chapter. It'll start to pick up soon, I promise. Also, I'm working on another chapter of my other BH6 fanfic "Comatose". It will become a two-shot. In addition, I've started working on an AU Rise of the Guardians fanfic, would anybody be interested in reading it if I posted it? If you haven't watched ROTG, stop what you are doing and go watch it, now. :p**

_'How am I supposed to tell him something like this? If I tell him what I know about his past, how will it change him? It has to change something in him, right? If so, what? What if he's not Hiro anymore? Well, he's not really Hiro right now, but still... What if this hurts him more than it helps him?' _Tadashi massaged his temples, trying to stop the oncoming headache. _'Why did I agree to tell him?'_

Meanwhile, Hiro Hamada sat in front of his brother, waiting for an answer to some of his questions. Who was he really? How did he end up like this? What happened to the family? What happened back in the old house? Are they safe now? A hand fell on Hiro's shoulder, making the teen flinch, startled out of his thoughts. Aunt Cass and Honey Lemon sat next to him with worry-filled eyes. After another minute of silence, Tadashi began to speak.

"I don't know how to even start." Tadashi stated, staring down at the floor, thinking.

Hiro replied, "From the beginning."

Tadashi sighed and looked at Aunt Cass, "I think you should start."

Before Aunt Cass could protest, Hiro looked at her expectantly and the protest died. "Alright." She took a deep breath and began to tell Hiro his past. "You're a genius when it comes to robotics, Hiro, even if you don't realize it. You started bot-fighting a couple years ago and-"

"Bot-fighting?" Hiro inquired.

Tadashi replied, "You build your own robot and go to different places to compete against other opponent's robots for money, which is illegal."

Aunt Cass nodded, "You were arrested a lot until we had to make a decision. Either you went to a juvenille center or I sent you to live with your brother. Of course, I sent you to Tadashi and Honey Lemon. I didn't have any other choice, really. A juvenille detention center wasn't a place I wanted to send you to." She looked at Tadashi, then to Honey Lemon, waiting for somebody else to take over the story.

Honey Lemon began, "When you came to stay, you were a little different from the child I had once known. It was like you wanted to keep your distance. The day after you came to our house, we all went walking and eventually stopped at an ice cream shop. There was a group of people that followed us to the ice cream shop. You stayed outside with Danny, the German Shepard we had, while Tadashi, Sophie, and I went inside." Honey Lemon took a deep breath, not wanting to continue talking, but knowing she had to.

"Tadashi noticed you were acting strange and found out those people were following us. We decided to go back home and walked past them. Luckily, the didn't do anything. Later, we found out that you had beat them in a bot fight and they wanted revenge. You were so worried that you stopped sleeping and rarely ate until I put a sleeping pill in your drink. After that, somebody threw a rock through the window."

Tadashi interrupted, "You managed to get to the rock before me. A piece of paper was attatched to it saying 'this is only the beginning'."

"Wait, why was all this happening? I don't understand... I mean, they were beat in a bot fight, so what? People get beat all the time, probably." Hiro couldn't figure out how this story mattered and wondered if they were just stalling.

Honey Lemon sighed, "It'll make sense in a little bit, Hiro. This is where it started to get dangerous. You and Tadashi were going to visit Aunt Cass one day when you and Tadashi were involved in a car accident. A truck plowed into the vehicle and we found out later that there wasn't a driver. It was controlled by a remote. Both of you were okay. While you were at the hospital, the doctors found the scars on your back and, concerned, they asked me if I knew anything about how you got them. I didn't know anything, nobody did. Only you knew. Then, Danny was poisoned and we took him to the vet. He bit you and you wouldn't let anybody check the wound because of the scars. That's when I told you that I knew about them. When I finally saw them..." She paused for a moment. "I knew you had been tortured, but I promised to not tell anybody unless it was necessary."

"Why, though?" Hiro was on the verge of screaming, wanting to demand them to answer his questions upfront, without having to know the entire story. "Why was I torturued?"

Honey Lemon ignored him, "You told me a while later a little bit of what happened to you. As Aunt Cass said, you liked to bot fight. Apparently, you were great at it. You told me it all started after you won a botfight. The opponent and everybody there was pissed and they surrounded you. You didn't tell me anything else after that."

Hiro stared at her in disbelief, "All of this started over a stupid bot fight? There's no way..."

"It's true." Tadashi stated. "Everything that's been said so far has been the truth, Hiro."

Honey Lemon nodded, "One stormy night, a man showed up, claiming he couldn't see to drive due to the rain. We allowed him to come into the house and even made him a cup of coffee. He seemed like a normal guy at first, until you came into the room. You stopped in the doorway and told him to get out."

Hiro immediately interrupted her, "The doorway in the kitchen?"

"How did you know?" Aunt Cass asked.

The teen explained, "When I went to the house, I knew I'd been in that doorway and something bad happened after that. I can't explain how I knew, I just did." He looked to Honey Lemon, wanting answers.

"That man, Octavian, pulled a gun on us. He threatened to shoot Tadashi if you didn't reveal the scars on your back. That's when Tadashi found out about the scars. The power went out suddenly and Tadashi attacked Octavian. I grabbed you and Sophie and we ran upstairs to the bedroom before Octavian's friends swarmed inside the house. I made you take Sophie and climb out the window. I held them off the best I could and could only pray that you both got away." Honey Lemon informed the teen, noticing he was trying to process all of this.

Aunt Cass began talking again, "You and Sophie showed up here later that night, soaked to the bone. Sophie was sick and you were hurt. You told me what happened and that we couldn't call the police if we wanted to see Tadashi and Honey Lemon alive again. Wasabi, Fred, and Gogo found out something was wrong and immediately began to help in any way they could. You were in the garage forming a plan and they eventually became a part of it. While you and your friends were gone to rescue Tadashi and Honey Lemon, I stayed here with Sophie. Some men broke in to the cafe, but you made a chip for Baymax that allowed him to fight the intruders, but that wasn't the only thing you created."

Honey Lemon began to talk once again, "I was surprised when I saw you in that building. You stood there, seemingly unarmed while those men surrounded you. They told you to empty your pockets and you did. Among the objects in your pockets was a small piece of metal. I tried to convince you to run away, I knew they were going to kill you. You refused. The leader held a gun to your head, but you didn't even flinch. Then, that piece of metal began to move and other pieces of metal began to pour into the building. They were small robots that were controlled using a neurocranial transmitter. You called them microbots."

"Microbots..." Hiro muttered, his memory slightly flickering, but not ammounting to anything.

"You used them to get me out of the building, then you went to find Tadashi." Honey Lemon stated, then turned to Tadashi.

The older brother hesitated, not really wanting to tell Hiro what happened. However, the look in his younger brother's eyes, his determination to figure out what happened, made Tadashi talk. "When you finally made it to where I was being held, the microbots stopped functioning. There was a time limit on how long you could use them without damaging your brain, it was mentally and physically impossible to operate them over the time limit. The Boss shot you in the leg and we were surrounded."

A flare of pain shot through the gunshot wound in Hiro's leg, making the teen move his leg a little. "That explains that wound."

"They restrained me and began to cut into the scars on your back. I yelled for them to stop and they did. The Boss told me what happened the night you got those scars. After you won the bot fight against the Boss, the men attacked you. While running away, the Boss' brother attacked you and tried to kill you, but you slammed a rock into his head and kicked him off of you, into a road..." Tadashi stopped, watching his brother's reaction. "The man was hit and killed by a passing truck. Ever since then, the Boss had swore to kill you."

Hiro's eyes widened, "I killed somebody..."

"You were protecting yourself, Hiro." Aunt Cass tried to comfort him.

Tadashi continued speaking, "The Boss shot me in the shoulder and was going to shoot me again, he was going to kill me. Somehow, you used the microbots to form a shield in front of me and you slammed the man into a wall. I grabbed the gun and shot him. There was an explosion set up by Gogo, Fred, and Wasabi. It distracted everybody enough for us to escape through the basement by using a flood tunnel. You were unconscious from using the microbots over the time limit, but we managed to get out safely. We were taken to the hospital and the rest of it you know."

Hiro remained silent for a minute, "So the microbots are the reason I have amnesia. It makes sense now." The teen sighed, "I'm sorry."

The other three were confused. Honey Lemon asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I got you all involved. I'm sorry." Hiro stated.

"Hiro-" Tadashi began, but he was interrupted.

Hiro ignored him, "Is there any chance the Boss could still be alive?"

There was nothing but silence, which answered the teen's question. Hiro Hamada finally knew a little bit about his past, but now he wasn't sure that was a good thing.

What if his past comes back to haunt him? What if this isn't over? Hiro looked down at the floor, the weight of everything that happened rested heavily on his shoulders.

What if this wouldn't end until somebody was dead?

* * *

_"You will never escape."_

_"You're broken."_

_"It's all your fault."_

_"They're going to die, Hiro. We're going to kill all of them!"_

_Hiro was in a nightmare he couldn't escape. He stared into the darkness around him, "Shut up!" He ran straight ahead, not caring that he could see anything. _

_A hand grabbed his shoulder and jerked him back, "You can't run, Hiro."_

_The teen pulled away and ran away from the monsters he couldn't see. 'I have to get out of here! I have to get away!' A door appeared in front of the teen and opened slowly. A small light shone on the other side of the door and the teen ran for it. The voices grew closer and closer until Hiro was unable to tell one voice apart from another. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, he ran through the door. He turned around to see if the monsters had pursued him, but he realized the door he had just came through was gone. It was like it had never existed._

_Hiro turned to face what was in front of him. He saw a man holding a knife and camcorder, "It's a shame you've forgotten, Hiro. Don't worry, you'll be reminded soon." The man walked toward him and Hiro tried to move, but found himself chained against a wall._

_"No... No, get away! Leave me alone!" Hiro yelled as the man continued to get closer. "Get away!" The knife was positioned against the teen's throat, making Hiro's panic grow. "Please... Don't do this, please..." He whispered, pleading for his life. The man ignored him and Hiro felt the knife slowly travel across his throat. Blood poured from the wound. Hiro wanted to scream, but a choking sound was the only thing that came from him. He was going to die. _

_"It's not over, kid. This is only the beginning." The man laughed as the blood spilled onto his shoes._

Hiro woke up screaming, feeling something around his wrists and immediately began to panic. "No, no, no, no! Get away from me! Get away!"

"Hiro, it was just a nightmare!" Honey Lemon tried to bring the teen out of his panic.

Immediately, Hiro recognized her voice and began to look around. Tadashi, Honey Lemon, and Aunt Cass surrounded him. Tadashi held his wrists and Hiro could still feel the blood streaming from his slit throat. He began to shake, "Let me go." Tears streamed down his face and the panic could be seen clearly.

Tadashi let go of his wrists, worried. Hiro wasn't getting better.

If anything, he was becoming worse. One question continued to run through everybody's minds.

Was Hiro truly broken?

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

**narniac4aslan: Haha, I'm glad you liked it, then. ;) I hope you enjoyed this one! Thanks for the review!**

**Aiko: I'm glad this is getting intense for you. ;) Haha, wuv you, too! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!**

**KungfuKittyKat: Those awful scoundrels, how dare they. :( Thanks for reviewing! **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry for not updating over the weekend. Thanks for the support, it means a lot! Also, I'm still working on a new chapter for Comatose and I have no idea how long it's going to be so I'm not going to post an estimated time that it will be posted. So, it's getting there along with my ROTG fic, too. I hope you all enjoy! Also, Happy 4th of July (even though it's no longer the 4th of July). Oh, and to those who watch Teen Wolf, there's a reference in here. Just pointing it out before you say "I see what you did there". XD Oh, and A Sky Bison mentioned a song that seems to fit this fic perfectly and I must agree. It's called "When the Darkness Comes Part 2" by Shelby Merry. I love it! Also, to those of you looking forward to reading the next chapter of Comatose, there's a small portion of it down at the main bottom under guest reviews. Call it your spoiler alert. :p**

Control.

Hiro Hamada was spiraling out of control. He was losing his mind.

Learning what happened to him may have answered some of the questions he had, but those questions were nothing compared to the ones that were forming now. The unspoken questions that everybody was worried about. Was the Boss really dead? Will something else happen? If so, who will be targeted? What measures could be taken to ensure the safety of everyone? A week ago, Hiro learned what had happened and he still didn't know how to feel about it.

Was he scared? Yeah, he was. After all, somebody tried to kill him and his family, who wouldn't be scared? However, simply hearing the story is entirely different from actually living it. Hiro was scared after hearing the story. However, he believed he would be absolutely terrified if he actually remembered what happened. Hiro pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to get rid of the headache from Hell. The headaches had been coming more frequently. Baymax concluded that Hiro's mind was simply healing and there was a chance his memories were trying to resurface. Which led Hiro to another question.

Did he really want to remember?

Tadashi appeared in the living room doorway, "Gogo, Fred, and Wasabi are coming over for dinner in about an hour. You should go ahead and get ready."

Hiro simply nodded and carefully took a shower, the waterproof bandage around the hole in his leg stopping the water from seeping into the slowly-healing wound. Cautiously, Hiro managed to get out of the shower and dressed without any problems. Hiro finished getting ready and moved into the kitchen, setting aside the crutches and sitting down in a chair.

Honey Lemon saw him, "Hiro, will you do me a favor?" Before Hiro could turn around, Honey Lemon placed a huge baking sheet of cupcakes in front of him. "Will you put icing on these?" She handed him two containers of icing- red and blue- then placed a butter knife on the table.

Hiro began to open the containers, then paused. "Honey Lemon, the red icing is actually-" Hiro noticed she had already rushed off and wasn't hearing him. "Pink." The teen shrugged, thinking it probably didn't matter, and began to complete the task. In a way, he was glad for an easy task like this. It preoccupied him and kept him from thinking too much, the thoughts about what happened slowly driving him insane.

Not long after that, the others arrived and the family and friends went out into the small backyard. Fred had bought a box of sparklers and gave one to Sophie, lighting the end of it with a lighter. Immediately, the child began to run around, keeping the fire away from her, afraid of getting burnt but watching in wonder. When that one went out, she grabbed another one and done the same thing. Everybody watched her, amused and making sure the child didn't accidentally get hurt.

Random conversations broke out and Hiro found it difficult to attempt to keep up with so many different conversations. Fred and Aunt Cass talked about desserts, Gogo and Honey Lemon chatted about their time at SFIT, while Wasabi and Tadashi talked about something more interesting. Hiro immediately began to pay attention to their conversation.

Wasabi stated, "Yeah, the guy was just standing there in my living room. When I turned on the light, he ran off. I tired going after him, but lost him."

"Did you see what he looked like?" Tadashi questioned.

"No. He had something that covered his face completely, but it wasn't a mask. Even after I turned on the light, I couldn't tell what it was. It just happened so fast. My neighbors didn't see anybody, either, so it's all a dead end." Wasabi stated, taking a drink of water.

Hiro joined their conversation, "What was he after?"

Wasabi shrugged, "I don't know. I looked around the house to see if anything was stolen, but everything was there. He didn't even take the thirty dollars I had lying on the end table."

"That's weird..." Hiro muttered, beginning to get lost in thought. Who breaks into a home and doesn't take anything?

Aunt Cass, Honey Lemon, and Gogo appeared with various types of food such as hamburgers, salad, and pasta salad and Hiro briefly wondered when they left the patio table. However, his attention zeroed in on the food, his stomach growling hungrily. Even Sophie forgot the sparklers and came to the table, the food being better then the sparklers, momentarily. Once everybody had a plate, they began to eat.

After everybody ate, they sat around and just began to talk. Hiro mainly listened, but his friends and family managed to bring him into their conversation a few times. Suddenly, Hiro felt a small tug on his shirt sleeve and turned to see Sophie holding an unlit sparkler toward him, a questioning look in her eyes. The teen smiled and took the sparkler, then grabbed the lighter from the table. He gathered his crutches and moved away from the others, following Sophie. When they made it to the middle of the yard, Hiro lit her sparkler before lighting the one he had.

Sophie laughed and ran around Hiro, careful to not burn him or herself. The teen couldn't help but laugh as Sophie slowly became afraid of being burned when the sparks seemed to get closer to her hand. The others continued their conversation, but Aunt Cass, Honey Lemon, and Tadashi took a moment to smile at the two. It was the first time in a while both Hiro and Sophie were able to laugh like that, as if they didn't have a care in the world and the universe hadn't dealt them a bad hand of cards.

Once the sparklers died, they threw them away and returned to the others. Desserts were out on the table now and many people had a plate full of sugary treats that were obviously terrible for your health. Honey Lemon brought out the cupcakes and everybody grabbed one, not making a remark about the pink icing that should have been red. Then, Tadashi returned with a cake and placed it on the table next to the cupcakes. On the cake was a design of a diapered baby holding an American flag with fireworks behind it. Written above it was 'I'll be home for Christmas'.

Aunt Cass began to tear up, Hiro had a shocked look, Wasabi's jaw dropped, Gogo dropped her fork, Fred grinned from ear-to-ear, and Sophie stared at the cake, not comprehending the meaning. Honey Lemon took a photo of everybody, laughing at their reactions.

Aunt Cass was the first to act, "I'm so happy for you!" She hugged both Tadashi and Honey Lemon, excitement making her ramble so much that nobody could understand what she was saying.

Even Gogo had to smile, "Congratulations! You're going to have to let me babysit." That was something most people didn't know about Gogo. She loved children. Her personality might have made it seem impossible for her to care about anything, but she did.

Tadashi laughed, "Just try to keep the elecrto-mag suspension bicycle out of sight for a little while."

"Hey, Sophie found it in the garage and she didn't get hurt." Gogo argued humorously, copying Aunt Cass and hugging both of her friends.

Wasabi still sat there speechless, "Is my mind the only one still trying to process this?"

Gogo remarked, "Yes, now woman up."

Wasabi laughed, "I'm happy for you two, I really am. Congratulations! When did you find out?"

Honey Lemon answered quickly, "Not too long ago." She didn't give away any more information. She simply left it at that, not wanting them to know she knew she was pregnant before being taken hostage.

Fred was still grinning, "I knew you two would have another child, eventually. Ooh, you should invent a vitamin pill that will give the baby some sort of ice power. How cool would that be?"

Everybody laughed. "That's not science, Fred." Honey Lemon said.

"You said that about the invisible sandwich, too. One of these days, it's going to be possible." Fred argued and continued rambling about the baby and ice powers.

Sophie was already asking Honey Lemon what they were going to name her new sister. Honey Lemon laughed, "How do you know the baby is a girl?"

"Well, I have to have somebody to play with. A sister would be perfect!" Sophie replied, making everybody laugh.

Hiro went to Tadashi and Honey Lemon, "So, that's what the pink icing was about."

Honey Lemon smiled, "Yeah. Sorry I lied."

The teen shrugged, "I won't hold it against you."

Tadashi smiled, "How does it feel knowing you're going to have another niece or nephew?"

"Same as it did with Sophie: exciting. How does it feel knowing you're going to have to fix bottles, change diapers, and rock a crying baby back to sleep at two o'clock in the morning again?" Hiro teased, then grew worried when everybody began to look at him. Uncomfortable with the attention, the teen could only ask, "What?"

Wasabi was the first to break the silence, "You just-" He stopped talking, looking to the others to see if they were going to say anything.

Tadashi spoke, "You said the exact same thing to me when we told everybody about Sophie."

Fred grew even more excited, "Dude, you had a memory come back! That's awesome!"

Hiro was confused, "A memory?" He paused a moment, thinking, trying to remember. "I'm sorry, I don't remember anything. I just..."

His brother rested a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. It just means you're making progress."

_I hope so, _Hiro thought.

Later, everybody went to the park to watch the fireworks show. Luckily, the weather was perfect and there wasn't a drought. Sophie was becoming impatient, asking what was taking so long for them to light the fireworks. When the first firework exploded in the air, the noise from it startled Hiro. When the second went off, he was startled again. His heart was racing and a surge of fear washed over him. He didn't understand why, though, until his leg began to ache. _It's the noise... Okay, Hiro, calm down. It's just a firework. It can't hurt you._

Meanwhile, Tadashi cringed every time the fireworks exploded. Soon, he found himself thinking back to when he was shot and, lost in the horrifying memory, he nearly jumped out of his skin when another firework went off. He used to love watching fireworks. Now, he hated them. He hated feeling so weak, so vulnerable. He was supposed to be strong for his family, he couldn't let a firework scare him like this. However, Tadashi knew that was easier said than done when another firework went off and exploded, making him jump again.

Definitely easier said than done.

* * *

_"This is all your fault!" Tadashi screamed, his bloodshot eyes filled with rage. He held the gun against Hiro's forehead. "They're dead and it's your fault!"_

_The younger brother didn't really know what to say. "I know." He whispered, his voice shaking a bit. Honey Lemon, Sophie, Aunt Cass, his friends... They were all dead because of Hiro and the teen knew that. If he stayed away from them, this would have never happened. A surge of anger suddenly coursed through him and the teen stood up straight. "Shoot me." Tadashi remained still, the gun unmoving. Hiro gritted his teeth, "Shoot me!"_

_The sound of the gunshot was deafening. Hiro's ears rang and the teen opened his eyes, surprised he was still alive. Blood covered him, but he was still alive. Then, the teen felt something heavy in his hand: the gun. Around him were the bodies of his family and friends, all dying of gunshot wounds. At that moment, Hiro realized Tadashi had never had the gun._

_Somebody began clapping and Hiro whirled around to face the noise. A man could be seen in the shadows and Hiro levelled the gun at him. "You did this."_

_The man stopped clapping, "No. You done this, Hiro. You pulled the trigger."_

_"Shut up!" Hiro pulled the trigger, but there were no more bullets, making the teen drop it in disgust and disappointment. Then, the bodies began to disappear and a television screen came on, showing they were all in the park, laughter erupting from the speakers._

_"We're going to kill all of them, Hiro." The man stated and disappeared, his voice echoing in the darkness. "One. By. One"_

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the pregnancy reveal, it was so hard to write. It's hard to express the emotions in situations like that. I can't really figure up the baby's due date thanks to time skips, so I'm just going to say sometime in December. The Teen Wolf reference was, of course, the last line. It was in season 3b, when the Nogitsune was talking to Stiles (in the hospital, I think). I only changed two words in it, but I thought it suited the moment. ;)**

**Guest Reviews:**

**Aiko: Haha, yep, you're definitely excited. That's okay, though. :p Love ya, too! And, thanks for the condolences. Also, thanks for reviewing!**

**KungfuKittyKat: Yep, definitely a mess that will only become more of a mess. ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

**D: Yeah, poor Hiro. And, sorry you find it depressing, the action will come soon, though. I'm glad you find it amazing and, don't worry, Baymax will come into the story more eventually. ;) And, yes, I'm okay. Thank you. Aw, that's so sweet of you and thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

**Comatose Excerpt:**

_"There's times where I can't tell if I'm awake or asleep. Sometimes I can't tell the difference between a nightmare and reality; it all seems real." The teen remarked, tapping his foot nervously against the carpet._

_The psychiatrist nodded, seeming to understand. "How do you know when your dreaming or not?"_

_The boy held his hands in front of him, "In dreams you have extra fingers." He tightened his hand into a fist, then released it, making sure he had five fingers. _

_"The nightmares. Are they becoming worse?" The psyhiatrist asked, trying to figure out what was going on inside Hiro Hamada's mind. _

_Hiro's hands began to shake and his heart threatened to burst from his chest. Nearly every night since he woke up from his coma, the teen had suffered from night terrors. "They're about the same."_

_"Do you wake up on your own?" The woman questioned._

_Hiro nodded, "I scream myself awake, but Tadashi and Aunt Cass are normally there." He didn't know what he would do without Aunt Cass and Tadashi. He didn't know what he would do without his friends either. They were with him through it all, they still are. Hiro would never be able to thank them enough for that. "I just hate that I'm making them go through all this."_

_The psychiatrist leaned forward a bit. This was the first time Hiro had ever offered an answer without her asking a question. "You feel guilty."_


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Thank you guys for the amazing support! Anyway, I would have updated sooner if it wasn't for these bad thunderstorms. Luckily, my area hasn't been hit as badly as other places and keep those who have been affected badly by these storms in your prayers. Also, I'm no expert on bullet wounds, but my dad wrecked a lawnmower and had a hole in his leg. He was on crutches about two months, so I'm just going by that. Also, somebody suggested that Honey Lemon's due date would be sometime around March and I must agree. I'm going to have to fix the last chapter and reupload it, but that will be the only thing changed. Finally, I can't reply to the reviews for last chapter yet. I will not have access to my computer until Friday night or Saturday due to college stuff. Sorry if this chapter isn't the best, I wanted to update so you guys could have a chapter to read. I'll reply to your reviews by next chapter, I promise (Guest Reviews will work the same, but I'll reply to last chapter reviews and this chapter reviews in Chapter 21). Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Sorry if this is an inconvenience!**

At the end of July, Hiro was finally able to get rid of the cursed crutches. Well, that was when the doctor said he could finally walk on his own. However, Hiro had mainly stopped using them when nobody was around, because they hurt his arms and were highly uncomfortable. The gunshot wound in his leg had healed well, but the scar would be there for the rest of his life. Even though a random pain would shoot through his leg sometimes, it was bearable. He still had to be careful, though. If he reopened the wound, the healing process would have to restart depending on how deep it reopened.

The only bad thing about recovering was the headahes were becoming worse and happening frequently. When nobody was around, Hiro would go through photo albums, hoping to remember something, anything as he flipped through the pages. So far, nothing came to mind. He was going insane from not knowing who he was and what he had been through. Even though Baymax and the other doctors continued to say that the memories would most likely resurface soon, Hiro was beginning to lose hope. A part of him wanted to remember, yet the other part wondered if that was a good idea. If he remembered everything, how would it change his life?

Eventually, Hiro found himself in the garage. He didn't know what he was doing there, but there was something about it that made him feel more familiar with himself. He walked over to one of the tables and noticed a robot and a controller next to each other. Hiro picked up the controller and pushed a button. Nothing happened. The teen flipped the controller over and noticed there was a place in the back for batteries. The teen sighed and sat the controller back on the table, turning to walk away. However, curiousity managed to get the best of him and he began to dig through drawers until he found batteries he could use.

As the teen placed the batteries into the compartment, he accidentally hit a button and the robot moved, falling off the table and into the floor before Hiro could catch it. It broke into nine pieces. The teen cursed and knelt to inspect the damage. As far as he could tell, there was no fixing it. Figuring the robot was Tadashi's the teen muttered, "He is going to kill me." Hiro set the controller down on the floor and it fell sideways. Suddenly, the pieces of the robot began to move and joined together, forming the solid robot it had been before. Stunned, Hiro picked up the controller and began to inspect the various buttons.

Noticing the controller was split, the teen gently pulled and it expanded into a larger controller. The teen sat down in the floor and began to hit buttons in an attempt to figure out how to move the robot. In no time, the robot was easy to operate, as if he'd been doing it most of his life. Hiro was so distracted by the robot, he didn't notice Sophie come into the garage.

"That is so cool!" The child exclaimed, watching the robot move around the garage. She began to chase it around, trying to catch it as Hiro maneuvered the robot around the garage. Amused, he stopped the robot completely and waited for Sophie to get close to it. Before her hands could grab the robot, Hiro pressed a button and it broke into nine pieces, moved away from the child, then reformed. "Wow! How did it do that?"

Immediately, Hiro began to explain how to robot worked in terms the child obviously didn't understand. She simply stared at him, lost, as he talked. When he finished, she said, "That didn't make any sense, but it's still super cool! Why did you make it in the first place?"

"Why did I make it?" Hiro repeated, confused. "I didn't make this."

Sophie nodded, "Uh huh. Daddy said so. When we came to visit Aunt Cass, he always told me to not touch that robot because you made it."

Hiro made the robot come to him and he gently picked it up with one hand. "I made this..." Suddenly, a surge of pain coursed through his head, as if he were being electrocuted. He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his head, wishing the pain would just end. He didn't even hear Sophie yelling at him, the pain blocked out everything.

* * *

_Hiro found himself in the room he shared with Tadashi, sitting at a desk and working on a controller to a robot he called Megabot. He was only working on the small details, but he wanted everything to be perfect. He had put a lot of time into this project, so he was going to make sure it had detail. He put the batteries in the compartment and closed it, then turned the controller over in his hands. "Hopefully, it works."_

_He pushed a button and the robot sprang to life, walking around the desk as if it had a mind of its own. The teen smiled at his accomplishment, "So far, so good." Hiro pulled the contoller, making it expand into a larger controller and began to check to make sure everything functioned properly. He took a deep breath, "Let's see if this works." He pressed a button and the entire robot fell apart into nine different pieces. He rose from his chair and scattered the pieces around the room, leaving one component of the robot in the center of the room. _

_Hiro pressed another button and the scattered robot pieces surged forward toward the one in the center of the room. In less than a few seconds, the robot had completely reformed as if it had never been broken apart. Hiro laughed, victorious, and threw his arms into the air, unable to contain his excitement. "Yes! It works! It actually works!"_

_"What works?" Tadashi asked, having just came from downstairs. He stared at the robot in the middle of the floor and grinned. "You finally finished it." It wasn't a question. The older Hamada knew his little brother could accomplish anything he set his mind to, robotics being one of them. He listened as Hiro began explaining everything the robot could do and eventually moved the robot around the room, made it disassemble, then reassemable. Tadashi stood there in awe at the robot._

_Hiro suddenly grew nervous, "Well, what do you think?" Hiro looked up to his older brother and wanted to catch up to him robotics-wise. He tried everything, built everything he could think of, in an attempt to see what his brother thought. _

_Tadashi continued to stand there for a moment, then he looked up at Hiro. "What do I think?" Then, a smile stretched across his face and he laughed. "I think that is possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen!" Tadashi held out his fist and Hiro grinned. Their fists collided and both of them made an explosion sound, something they had done for many years now. Tadashi picked up the robot, inspecting it closely and making approving comments on the structure and details Hiro had put into the bot. "With a brain like yours, you could go to SFIT."_

_Hiro laughed, "Right, so they can tell me things I already know?"_

_"I'm serious, Hiro." Tadashi stated, handing the robot to his little brother. "You could make something of yourself with whatever you invent. You could even change the world if you wanted to."_

_The younger Hamada sighed, "College isn't for me, Tadashi. We've been over this."_

_"I know, I know, but just think about it. You could get a degree doing something you love: robotics. You could even save lives if you wanted." Before Hiro could protest, Tadashi held up his hand. "Just think about it, Hiro. Okay?"_

* * *

_Hiro smiled nervously as he found himself backed against a wall surrounded by five other guys. "Come on, let's talk about this." The teen tried to calm his nerves and look for an escape at the same time. Suddenly, the roar of an engine broke the tense atmosphere and a moped made the five men jump away, afraid they were going to be hit. The moped stopped for a moment and Hiro grinned, "Tadashi!" Hiro didn't waste any time climbing on to the back of the moped, confused momentarily as Tadashi suddenly placed a helmet on the teen's head._

_By that time, the men were over their shock and began to charge at the two brothers. Tadashi cursed and began to drive away. He swerved around debris and weaved around people. The older Hamada drove recklessly until they were out of the alley and speeding down the main road. Tadashi sighed and began to talk over his shoulder. "Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah." Hiro stated, watching for the botfighters in case they were in pursuit._

_"Are you hurt?" The older Hamada questioned._

_Hiro shook his head, "No."_

_Somehow, Tadashi managed to reach behind him and slap the teen's shoulder. "What were you thinking?" He focused on the road once again, muttering. "Knucklehead! One of these days, you'll end up in jail. Botfighting is illegal!"_

_"Only when you bet on it." Hiro corrected, making Tadashi huff in annoyance._

_"Why can't you use that brain of yours for something better?" Tadashi questioned._

_Hiro protested, "I'm not going to college, Tadashi, so you-"_

_"You don't have to go to college, Hiro. I just don't want you to get hurt. What are you going to do when I move out? Who will be there to help you in those situations?" Tadashi questioned, not waiting for Hiro to respond before continuing. "I'm not going to be around forever, Hiro. Get that in your head. You know what, I'm done. If you go botfighting again and get in a tight spot, don't expect me to bail you out."_

_"You didn't have to in the first place!" Hiro yelled. "I can take care of myself."_

_The two brothers didn't speak for the remainder of the trip, to angry to even argue._

* * *

Hiro found himself back in the garage, still on his knees in the floor with his arms wrapped around his head, trying to ease the pain in his skull. The teen inhaled deeply as he began to stand up, pain shooting through his brain with each heartbeat. He leaned against one of the work tables, waiting to regain his composure and looked around the room. Aunt Cass, Tadashi, Honey Lemon, Sophie, and even Baymax was there.

Baymax quickly scanned the teen, "Your neurological levels have returned to their normal state."

Hiro ignored the healthcare robot, "How long was I like that?"

"A few minutes." Honey Lemon stated, Sophie crying at her side.

Aunt Cass began to talk, "Baymax said that was a sign of you finally remembering something." She paused momentarily. "Did you remember anything?"

The realization suddenly hit Hiro and he was stunned. "I actually remembered something..." Then, a grin broke out across his face and he laughed, unable to contain the happiness he felt. "I remembered making Megabot." The teen glanced at the robot, then to Tadashi. "The day I finished building it, you tried to talk me into going to SFIT."

Relief filled their eyes, glad to see the younger Hamada was beginning to remember his own life. Hopefully, he would remember everything. At least, that's what the majority believed they wanted. Tadashi was still afraid of Hiro remembering everything that happened, terrified that it would shatter his brother completely. If he remembered everything, then would Hiro still be the one he remembered? Would the kid with the goofy grin and witty comebacks be gone forever?

"Was that all you remembered?" Honey Lemon questioned, curious.

Only Tadashi saw Hiro's eyes darken briefly before he replied, "No. It was only that one memory."

Immediately, the older Hamada began to worry. Hiro had to have remembered something else, but he just wasn't going to tell them. Maybe he didn't want them to worry, but it wasn't right. They were his family, they were supposed to help him through this. At least, that's what Tadashi believed. The phone began to ring and Aunt Cass had to practically run to find it.

"Hello. Lucky Cat Cafe, Cass speaking. How can I-" She paused. "Wait, wait, wait, Gogo slow down." Aunt Cass paused to listen to what the woman had to say. Her eyes widened and she slowly put her hand over her mouth in shock and fear. "We'll be right there." She turned to look at the others, who knew something terrible had happened. Aunt Cass immediately stated, "Wasabi is in the hospital. The old gas stove he had in his house blew up and he's in bad shape. They-" She paused and tears slowly fell down her face. "They don't know if he's going to make it."

**A/N: Please remember, guest reviews for this chapter and last chapter will be replied to in Chapter 21. Again, sorry for the inconvenience. The italics were memories in case anybody was confused.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Sorry about the late update! I had to go to college to take a class for a week to try to test into a higher math class when I officially start, which is why I wasn't able to update last week. Trust me, I would have rather been typing a hundred stories than sitting in a seven hour math class every day, listening to lectures on things I already knew. On the bright side, I passed the test, so I'm now in a higher math class than I was orignally put in, so that week paid off! *does a happy dance* Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

When they arrived at the hospital, Honey Lemon immediately began to lead them to the ER, having the hospital mentally mapped after she had been there so often. After walking down a few hallways, they eventually saw Gogo and Fred sitting in a waiting room. Fred sat in silence while Gogo leaned against the wall, constantly checking her watch for the time. Finally, the two noticed the group and met them in the middle of the hallway.

"Have you heard anything?" Tadashi asked, worried that something may have changed since they last heard.

Gogo shook her head, "He's still in surgery, but..." Then, she stopped talking and Hiro finally noticed her face and hands seemed to be covered in soot. "I was talking to him on the phone when it happened. When I got there..." A tear trickled down her face, stunning everybody there. Gogo never cried and the sight of the tear made the others unable to think anything else other than how bad it must be. Tadashi snapped out of the shock first, wrapping his arms around his friend supportingly as she tried to regain her composure.

When Gogo finally pulled away, she didn't finish the story. Instead, she sat down in one of the nearest chairs and began to take deep breaths, nausea nearly consuming her as she remembered what she had seen. Everything was silent in the hospital as they waited to hear something, waited to hear if their friend was going to live or not, or if he had already passed away on the operating table. Seconds passed by like minutes, minutes seemed like hours, and the hours felt like days as they sat in the uncomfortable seats, staring at the door to the emergency room where Wasabi was.

Eventually, a doctor emerged from the ER and called Wasabi's real name. At first, Hiro didn't register he was talking about Wasabi and only realized when the others stood up, and he followed. The nervousness made his stomach twist as he waited to hear what the doctor had to say. "I'm Dr. Clarke, the head doctor of your friend. He is out of surgery now and is being moved to ICU, where he will be watched constantly. He has sustained severe burns from the explosion and we had to do a few skin grafts, but the burns are expected to heal nicely."

Gogo spoke up, "What about his arm?"

Dr. Clarke's eyes grew a bit dark. "Unfortunately, the damage to his left arm was too severe and we had to amputate just below the elbow." Everybody's stomach seemed to drop at the doctor's words and the man gave them a moment to let the news sink in before continuing. "The amputated limb is the main problem here. We're going to have to watch him carefully for the next twenty-four hours until we are certain his condition will stabalize."

Suddenly, Honey Lemon turned away from everybody and ran down the hallway, her face a sickly green shade. Tadashi looked at the doctor apologetically before rushing after his wife, leaving the others alone with the doctor. Aunt Cass spoke, "When will we be able to see him?"

Dr. Clarke replied, "When he wakes up, if he's up to it. The shock of losing a limb is traumatic for everyone, so we're going to have to see how he copes before we allow anyone back to see him. Now, I have other patients I need to check on. I'll send somebody to tell you when he wakes up." Dr. Clarke turned and left, leaving everybody in the hallway to let the news sink in. The only person who didn't look shocked was Gogo and Hiro figured she had seen Wasabi's arm when she went to his house.

Hiro sat down in a chair, dread nearly consuming him. Something seemed to lurk at the corner of his mind, begging him to remember, but the teen couldn't. Whatever it was, Hiro simply couldn't grasp it. He figured what happened to Wasabi had something to do with what happened a few months ago, but since he couldn't remember all the details, the teen didn't have anything to go on.

Sophie gently tugged on his shirt sleeve, snapping Hiro from his thoughts as he faced the young child. "Hiro, what does amputated mean?"

The others overheard Sophie's question and looked at Hiro to see how he was going to respond. He looked at them, wishing they would help him answer the child's question, but knew they were at a loss for words as much as he was. Hiro turned back to Sophie and took a deep breath. "Well... It means..." Hiro paused, really not wanting to tell her and wished Tadashi and Honey Lemon would come back right now. "Wasabi hurt his arm badly, Sophie, and sometimes..." He tried to think of the right way to tell her. "Sometimes the doctors can't fix it."

The child was confused, "What do you mean they can't fix it? I thought the doctor said we could see him when he woke up? How could his arm not be fixed, then?"

Finally, Tadashi and Honey Lemon returned, hearing what Sophie said. Hiro cast Tadashi a glance, begging him for help and the older brother walked over and knelt in front of his daughter. Sophie immediately turned to her father and asked, "Daddy, what does amputated mean? Hiro said Wasabi hurt his arm and the doctors couldn't fix it, but that doesn't make sense."

Tadashi knew Sophie would eventually find out, whether it be now or later when she was finally able to see him again. He realized she needed to know, but he didn't really know how to tell her. The older Hamada took a deep breath, "The doctors had to remove a part of Wasabi's arm, Sophie. Do you understand?"

Sophie looked at her father in shock, "But... doctors are supposed to help people, not hurt them more!"

"Sometimes it can't be helped. Wasabi's arm was hurt too badly for it to be saved. They had no other choice." Tadashi spoke softly, hoping his daughter would finally understand. Apparently, she did because tears started streaming down her face and she leaned into her father's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. Tadashi picked her up and sat down in the chair, Sophie cradled against his chest as she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Wasabi's eyes slowly flickered open, but he immediately closed them due to the harsh, bright light that was directly over him. As his eyes slowly adjusted, the man tried to figure out where he was. He was surrounded by white walls and lying in a bed covered with white sheets. An annoying beeping sound came from his right and the man looked toward the sound, realizing it was a monitor. He saw his heartrate, oxygen level, and his blood pressure level, but the man was still confused. _What happened? Why am I in a hospital?_ When he tried to move, pain coursed through his entire body, making him hold his breath until the wave of pain vanished.

"Don't try to move. You'll only hurt yourself more." A woman stated and Wasabi glanced to his left and saw a lady wearing a nurse outfit. "The doctor is on his way now, it should only be another minute or so."

Wasabi cleared his throat, "What happened?" His voice was weak and sounded like he hadn't spoke in weeks. "Why am I here?"

"I'm sorry, sir. The doctor will answer your questions once he arrives. I'm just here to record your vitals and check on the IV bag." The nurse smiled apologetically and continued writing on a tablet she had in her hands.

Wasabi scowled. He knew the nurse was only doing her job, but it still annoyed him. Why did he have to wait for the doctor? Why couldn't she just tell him? The man sighed and closed his eyes, a wave of exhaustion suddenly seeming to cloud his mind. What felt like ten minutes later, the doctor came in. "Hello, my name is Dr. Clarke. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess." Wasabi stated, waiting for the doctor to go into an explanation of what happened.

The doctor wrote something down on a tablet he held, then looked at the machine next to Wasabi. "Your vitals are looking good. How are you on pain?"

"It only hurts when I try to move." Wasabi replied, his patience wearing thin. "What happened to me? Why am I even here?"

Dr. Clarke gently sat the tablet down on a small table. "What do you remember?"

Wasabi tried to think back to the last thing he remembered. "I remember going to the grocery store and coming home. I was talking to someone on the phone..." Wasabi struggled to remember who it was, "I think it was Gogo. Maybe Fred, I don't know. I remember going inside to the kitchen and-" Wasabi paused, trying to remember everything. "That's it. That's the last thing I remember."

Dr. Clarke nodded to himself, "It's good that you seem to remember a little of what happened." The man picked the tablet up and wrote something down in it before turning his attention to Wasabi once again. "The gas stove in your kitchen exploded for an unknown cause. The girl you were on the phone with drove to your house, but the police and fire department were already there. You have sustained first, second, and a few third degree burns along your body, but mainly your torso." He paused to let the news sink in. "We had to do a few skin grafts, but we are confident that the scars won't be extremely noticeable."

"So, I can leave when the burns heal?" Wasabi questioned, not wanting to stay here any longer than he had to.

Dr. Clarke paused for a moment. "I'm afraid it's not that simple." A nurse appeared at the doctor's side and Wasabi felt the dread creep into the pit of his stomach. "Your arm was damaged severely from the blast and we were unable to save it." Wasabi still didn't understand, he didn't want to understand. "We had to amputate just below your left elbow."

Immediately, a cold disbelief washed over the man. He didn't want to believe what the doctor told him. It could be true. Things like this only happened in movies, right? Painfully, Wasabi moved the blanket covering him away form his body until he could see his left arm. The heart monitor began to beep faster and louder, but he didn't pay any attention to it. Instead, Wasabi was focused on the fact that a part of his left arm was gone. The scary part was it felt as if the limb were still attached, just invisible: a phantom limb.

Wasabi didn't even notice the nurse beside him, using a syringe to put some kind of medication through his IV. Suddenly, Wasabi felt a fog come over him and the fear he felt seemed to drift away, as if it were just a nightmare. However, Wasabi knew it was reality. He briefly heard the doctor and nurse speaking before the medication kicked in completely and he was dragged into the realm of sleep.

* * *

Eventually, Hiro couldn't stand being in that waiting room anymore. He quickly rose to his feet, ignoring the dizziness he had from standing up too quickly, and walked down the hallway. He didn't care where he was going, as long as it was far away from that room. Hiro knew all of this was his fault, he knew it more than he knew himself, and the thought of Wasabi lying in a hospital bed injured made him sick to his stomach. Before the teen realized it, he was outside. A playground for children was set up beside the hospital and the teen walked over to the swing set, sitting down in one of the swings.

He desperately wanted to remember. He wanted to remember everything, so he could figure out what may happen next. Without his memories, how was he supposed to recognize a threat? How would he know if somebody was after him and his family if he couldn't remember their face? Hiro cursed silently, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly, laughter seemed to echo in Hiro's mind and the teen realized he knew the voice. _"We're going to kill all of them, Hiro." _The teen froze, not noticing the rain that began to fall. A figure suddenly appeared and Hiro recognized it as Tadashi. The younger Hamada inhaled deeply, trying to soothe the sick feeling that was steadily becoming worse. _"One. By. One."_

"You okay?" Tadashi asked, concerned as his little brother simply stared off into space for a moment.

Hiro didn't want to worry his brother, so he nodded. "I'm fine." The teen rose from the swing and followed his brother back inside the hospital. Tadashi didn't question his brother, but he knew Hiro had just lied to him. The teen was far from being fine. Something was bothering him and Tadashi guessed it was guilt. Yet, the older brother knew Hiro wouldn't listen to him if he said it wasn't Hiro's fault.

The swing beside the one Hiro was in began to move. It was the only one out of eight that was moving, even though the wind didn't even stir the tree leaves. Suddenly, the swing stopped and a figure could be seen, briefly, following the two brothers back to the hospital. If anyone noticed, they would have been confused and believe they had seen Hiro's doppelganger. However, the figure was not a clone. Instead, it was Hiro Hamada's former self, the ghost of his past that would follow him until everything was the way it was meant to be.

Imaginary Hiro sighed in frustration, "This is starting to become annoying." The ghostly figure looked toward the horizon nervously. "It won't be long now. No, this is just the beginning."

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

***Chapter 19**

**D: Yep, a baby! Wow, I don't know if I could handle that many fireworks! I believe I'd have to be put on nerve pills! Don't worry, the action will come in soon, I'm just setting everything up for it. And Baymax will be in this story more, of course. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: No, Hiro is not becoming suicidal. There's only two topics on fanfiction that's taboo for me and that's suicide and rape, so you won't see anything like that in any of my stories. It's just a dark time for him and I feel sorry for him, too. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you like this story so far!**

**KungfuKittyKat: Yeah, he's definitely in a tough spot! Yeah, there's not too much to celebrate. I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**IamMeWhoAreYou: I swear, I can't get over your username. Every time I see it, I'm like "depp meaning". XD. Trust me, I won't abandon you! I may get busy, but I'll never abandon this fic! I hope his brain makes it out okay. Actually, I hope my brain makes it out of writing this fic, I've thought of so many things for it and it's hard to stick to one thing. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed!**

***Chapter 20:**

**KungfuKittyKat: Yeah, poor Wasabi. People just can't get a break in this story. :( Yeah, there's still the part about Hiro remembering and how he handles it... Anyway, thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: Haha, I'm glad you liked it! Tadashi and Hiro definitely have to make things right, if Hiro remembers everything, of course. ;) Poor Wasabi. I still can't believe I done that to him. Wow, you'd really admire me? That's awesome! The would be the first time somebody would have admired me for killing a character. So... did you find that it had a twist in it? Even a little bit? XD. Thanks for reviewing!**

**IamMeWhoAreYou: Yep, can't have entertainment without catastrophes. ;) Thanks for reviewing!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't updated sooner, but I've been busy getting ready for college, which starts this week. Don't worry, I won't abandon the story and I'll try to update on weekends and when I don't have class. Oh, and have any of you seen or played the video games "Uncharted"? Oh my gosh, they're the best! Anyway, thanks for the amazing support! I realize the story has sort of been slow lately, I'm sorry! The pace will pick up soon, though! I'm actually looking for this story to end soon, though. Maybe a few more chapters... Not entirely sure yet. Anway, I hope you enjoy! Oh, my email messed up, so it's messed with who has reviewed and the ones I've already replied to and what reviews are on certain chapters. If I reply to the same review twice, I'm sorry in advance. I didn't proofread this before I posted either, so I apologize for any mistakes.**

Things began to calm down, thankfully, as Wasabi continued to heal and slowly accepted the reality of the lost limb. Wasabi's house, what was left of it, had been inspected, but nobody was able to pinpoint the cause of the gas stove exploding. Eventually, they assumed since Wasabi was okay, it didn't matter and the investigation stopped. After a few weeks, Wasabi was able to leave the hospital, moving to Fred's mansion until he could find an apartment for rent. Only then did Hiro go see his friend, but only for a few minutes. Hiro had ended up running out of the mansion and down the road before anybody knew what happened. When they returned to Aunt Cass', Hiro was there focused on a sketchpad in front of him, only leaving the room to go to the bathroom or grab something to eat. Everything was pretty much normal, though. For now, at least.

Tadashi grabbed the mail from the mailbox outside and began sorting through it. Bills, bills, magazine, bills, dvd, bills... Tadashi returned to the dvd and picked it up. It was in a transparent case and the dvd itself had the words "play me" written on it in red ink. Confusion crossed the man's face and the older Hamada soon found himself sitting at the computer, loading the dvd onto the computer. A black screen popped up immediately and a play button appeared. Tadashi grabbed a pair of headphones from the drawer and plugged them into the audiojack, placing the ear buds in his ears. He pressed play and leaned forward a bit, not knowing what to expect.

The video was dark for a moment and Tadashi wondered if it was even working. Then, several split screen images appeared on the screen and people were moving within the house. It took Tadashi a moment to realize he was looking at his house and watching his family move through the rooms. The older Hamada knew who was behind this and his stomach twisted at the thought that these sick people watched him and his family for who knows how long. The screen went black for a moment, then another image appeared of another house. It seemed like any other house, until fire burst from a few windows, flames climbed up the walls, and smoke emerged from any opening. It didn't take Tadashi long to figure out that he had just seen Wasabi's house blow up.

He was suspicious of Wasabi's so-called accident and this just confirmed his worries and fears. The lives of his friends and family were in danger; it was a fact he could no longer ignore. The dvd stopped playing, the disk ejected from the computer, and Tadashi grabbed it. A surge of anger coursed through him and he held the disk in both hands, snapping it in half, then threw it away. Tadashi ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, trying to figure everything out. He had to come up with something to protect his loved ones before anybody else was hurt. It was obvious the past wasn't done with the Hamadas and their friends and a fight was coming. Actually, it had already began. Tadashi rose to his feet and grabbed the keys, not really knowing where he was going, just needing to drive for a while to gather his thoughts.

If it was a fight they wanted, they would get a war.

And like any war, it took preparations, integrity, and knowledge about the enemy.

But the person who knew the enemy the most couldn't remember anything.

That would have to change.

None of this went unnoticed by Hiro, who hid around the corner and watched the video without his brother knowing. As Tadashi rose to his feet, Hiro hid behind the wall and hoped his brother went into a different room. He did, leaving Hiro alone with his thoughts. So far, Hiro had only regained a couple of memories. They were the only pieces he had to the puzzle that was his past. Somehow, he had to work with the few pieces he had and try to relive his past.

_Unless... _

Hiro thought back to the memories he had and tried to find the similarities between them. Almost immediately, he realized what both memories had mentioned. College. Hiro knew the only college it could be was San Fransokyo Institute of Technology or SFIT. Maybe if he went, he would know where to go from there. Immediately, Hiro put on his shoes and walked out the door, calling out a quick bye to anybody around. He briefly heard Aunt Cass ask where he was going, but he ignored her. Instead, he began walking toward the college, hoping he would find something that would give him answers.

Concerned, Aunt Cass briefly watched Hiro through the window. Honey Lemon finished wiping off a counter where Sophie had spilled orange juice and walked over to Aunt Cass. "Where is he going?"

"I don't know. He didn't say." Aunt Cass replied.

Honey Lemon threw away paper towel that was soaked with orange juice, "I'll go check on him."

Sophie jumped from the chair, "Can I go, mommy?"

Honey Lemon nodded, "Just hurry up and get your shoes on."

* * *

Hiro walked onto the campus, a familiar feeling lingering in his mind as he walked. He didn't really know where he was going, but hoped that he had been here often enough to where it would come instinctively. Kind of like muscle memory in a way. The younger Hamada walked up a few stairs and pushed open a door, entering the building without anybody asking him what he was doing there. He walked by a few offices and believed they were all empty. However, a lone figure sat at one of the desks and quickly picked up the phone, talking into it quickly, a tone of desperation in his voice.

The teen continued walking up some stairs and found himself walking down a hallway. Suddenly, an image of him and his brother appeared in front of him, making the teen stop completely in confusion.

_"I don't want to see your nerd lab, Tadashi." Hiro complained as he held Megabot in one hand._

_Tadashi continued walking, "Quit whining. We'll be in and out, I promise." He opened a door on the right and the two brothers stepped inside._

Hiro saw the door his past self in the memory had entered and slowly walked toward it. He looked through the small window on the door and was relieved that the room was empty. The teen opened the door and stepped inside, scanning the room quickly. He realized he was in a robotics lab and, curious, he began to look around at the objects in the room. Various blueprints for inventions covered desks and walls, and the teen found himself admiring the inventions.

"The first time Tadashi brought you here, you done the same thing." Honey Lemon's voice echoed in the room, startling Hiro and making him nearly jump out of his skin. She ignored the fact that she scared him and began to look around the room. "People here have good intentions. They want to change the world with the things they imagine and build, even though most of their inventions are rejected."

Hiro nodded, "That's understandable, though. After all..." Hiro picked up a drawing. "What cat needs hoverboots?"

Honey Lemon laughed, watching Sophie as she explored the room. "You're right." The woman pointed at a corner of the room, "I actually made the formula for chemical metal embrittlement right there. It went further than I ever thought. Companies find it easier to use it when they want to remove metal from something and the formula eventually went worldwide." She pointed to another part of the room, "Wasabi became obsessed with this idea of laser induced plasma and found a way to make it portable for people to use." Honey Lemon directed Hiro's attention to another part of the room, "Gogo remodeled her bike to have electromagnetic wheels to make it faster." She nodded toward a small room away from everything else. "That's where Tadashi created Baymax. It took him forever and caused him a lot of grief, but he did it."

Hiro nodded, taking everything in. "What about Fred?"

The woman laughed, "He mainly just stayed here with us. He wasn't a robotics major, but he tried to talk us into making him a formula that turned him into a firebreathing lizard, even though that's not science."

Hiro shook his head and chuckled, imagining how that conversation went, then became serious. "I wish I remembered why I never came here."

"Tadashi tried to talk you into it several times. You were serious about botfighting, though." Honey Lemon stated. "Why did you come here, anyway?"

Hiro sighed, "I don't know. In the memories I've regained, college was mentioned, so I thought if I came here, I would remember something else. Something useful."

"You can't force yourself to regain your memories, Hiro. Even though you're a robotics genius, I'm pretty sure there isn't a machine that out there that will give you back your memories. Only time can do that." Honey Lemon stated.

An idea began to form in the teen's mind. "Maybe."

"Now, let's get back to the cafe. It's getting late." Honey Lemon stated and grabbed Sophie's hand, leading the way out of the lab. As they walked, Hiro's thoughts raced through his mind nonstop. The trip to the lab hadn't been a complete waste of time and Hiro was glad Honey Lemon decided to follow him. He finally had something to go by and the teen wouldn't rest until he finally regained his memories.

Meanwhile, a shadow watched their every move. He couldn't afford to mess his mission up, his life would be ruined if he did. No, he had to wait for the right moment and the perfect opportunity to carry out his plan. To do so, he would have to take the plan step by step. Step one was already complete, now he had to start with the next phase of his plan. The figure disappeared into the night, making sure the device was still in his pocket before continuing down the street.

* * *

_Honey Lemon stared up at the building, knowing that her husband and brother-in-law were still in there amidst the chaos. Fred, Gogo, and Wasabi stood next to her and watched, unmoving and silent. A minute passed and Honey Lemon knew they should have been out by now. Quickly, she began to move toward the burning building and soon found herself inside, watching as the flames ate away at the interior. She yelled for her husband and brother-in-law, but immediately began coughing as the smoke infiltrated her lungs. _

_A part of the ceiling fell and hit the ground about ten feet from the woman, making her move more quickly, straining to see through the smoke. She walked up a small flight of stairs and saw two figures lying on the ground. With a sick feeling in her stomach, she moved toward them, knowing it was the two people she was looking for. "Tadashi? Hiro?"_

_She didn't see the blood until she was only a few feet away from them. Blood seeped onto to floor, pooling around their dead bodies and Honey Lemon's stomach flipped at the sight. A voice sounded behind her, "They got in my way, so I killed them."_

_Honey Lemon whirled around and found herself staring down the barrell of a gun. Ice seemed to flow through her veins and she found herself unable to speak. The man in front of her had half of his face melted off and blackened from the fire. His eyes were filled with pain and rage, crying out for blood. The smile he gave her and the laughter that erupted from his chest only terrified the woman more. "Now, you're in my way." Honey Lemon saw his finger tighten on the trigger and she closed her eyes, waiting for the bullet to pierce her skull._

A loud burst of thunder startled Honey Lemon awake and she found it was hard to breathe. The panic from her nightmare was still there and she had to breathe deeply to force away the fear. It was just a nightmare after all and the storm couldn't hurt her. As if sensing her fear, a sleeping Tadashi rolled onto his side and wrapped his arm around her, moving until he was pressed against her back. His steady breath on her neck soon drove away the fear from the nightmare and she found herself spiralling into a deep sleep. However, the worry that something bad was going to happen refused to dissipate.

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

**KungfuKittyKat: Haha, definitely one tragedy right after the other. I'm glad you liked last chapter and I hope you liked this one! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Servo: I'm glad you like it so far! Thanks for the compliment! Also, I'm glad you like the plot twists, expect more! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can! Thanks for reviewing!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Sorry for updating so late! I started college three weeks ago and I've been busy ever since. It's been a bit difficult to get accustomed to the schedule. I didn't think it would be this hectic! Basically, I go to class, do homework, eat, workout, go to bed, then start all over again. So, I'm sorry that updates are becoming slow. Also, I updated this when I was extremely sleepy, so I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. I'm exhausted! I'll update as soon as I can and I promise I'm not abandoning this story! Also, if anybody has a Twitter and wants to follow me, just message me. I'll even follow you back!**

**P.S. I'll reply to everybody's reviews eventually. I just have to find time, but I'll reply to reviews for chapter 22 and this chapter when I can. Thanks for the support! I hope this chapter makes up for my absence! **

_Tadashi's eyes slowly opened and he looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He tried to get up, but found he couldn't even move. Panic immediately coursed through his body and Tadashi looked at his wrists, ankles, and chest were bound by thick chains, impossible to break or loosen. The older Hamada cursed and instinctively began his attempts to get free, only resulting in making the chains dig into his skin until blood slowly dripped down his wrists. By the time Tadashi admitted defeat, he was already exhausted. He looked around the room, turning as far as he could to see behind him. The room was empty except for a lone table in the corner and Tadashi could see the light gleam off the needle and syringe that was resting on the metallic table. _

_'Did they drug me? Have they even used that yet? What's going on?' Tadashi wondered to himself as he struggled to free himself once again, the sight of the needle giving him a boost of energy and strength. A loud click echoed in the silence and Tadashi immediately froze, not knowing what to expect. The door in front of him opened with a creak and two men entered the room._

_"What do you want?" Tadashi demanded to know, trying to keep his voice steady._

_One man spoke, "We want you to kill somebody, Tadashi."_

_Tadashi simply sat there and stared for a moment, "I'm not killing anybody."_

_The man laughed, "You will." _

_The second man grabbed the syringe from the metallic table and began to walk to the older Hamada. Tadashi tried to struggle, even though he knew it was useless. "No, wait, what are you-" A moment later, the needle sank into the flesh on the side of his neck and the liquid was slowly injected into Tadashi's bloodstream. Agonizing pain ripped through his body and his brain felt like somebody had just poured lava over it. He thought the pain would never go away as his mind became clouded and the vision began to darken around the edges. His throat became raw from the screams he didn't realize were coming from him, the screams he couldn't even hear. Finally, the pain went away and Tadashi Hamada was slumped in the chair, trying to fight whatever was in his bloodstream. _

_"You're going to do as I say from now on, Tadashi Hamada." The man stated, grabbing the older Hamada's chin so their eyes would meet. _

_Tadashi could feel whatever they injected him with begin to take full effect. "No." He paused for a moment, his voice barely above a whispter. "I won't."_

_The man laughed, ignoring him completely. "Like I said before, I want you to kill somebody for me. Think you can do that, Tadashi?"_

_The older Hamada could feel the real him begin to slip out of his grasp. He shut his eyes, trying to fight against whatever was happening to him. The sane part of him kept screaming in the back of his mind to keep fighting, but the voice was quickly becoming distant. When Tadashi opened his eyes, there was no life left in them. They were emotionless. Dead. His eyes met the man's and Tadashi spoke, his voice unwavering. "Who?"_

* * *

Tadashi Hamada didn't remember walking through the door of the Lucky Cat Cafe.

He didn't realize he placed his car keys on a small table in the apartment.

He didn't care that everybody in the apartment was asleep in their rooms.

Instead, the older Hamada just went to the room he shared with his wife and climbed into bed, not bothering to change clothes. If anybody asked, he would say he was simply too tired to change. The older Hamada didn't fall asleep immediately, though. Instead, he listened to the rhythmic breathing coming from his wife and how silent the rest of the apartment was. He stared at the ceiling, just listening to everything around him. Despite the calm demeanor on the outside, inside there was a war within the older Hamada. There were two sides battling for dominance: the evil side and the good side.

The real Tadashi Hamada was gone, his body controlled by the drug coursing throughout his body. On the back of his neck, hidden by his hairline, was a small device attached to his skin, emitting the toxin into his bloodstream.

The evil was steadily taking over, controlling Tadashi's every thought and action.

And there was no stopping it.

* * *

Ever since the visit to SFIT, Hiro slowly began to regain his memories. He remembered a few events that happened in the past, like birthday parties, Tadashi graduating high school, Sophie being born, Danny the German Shepard... However, he still couldn't remember what had happened to him. The teen, frustrated, didn't know what else to do.

Sophie came running into the room, stopping once she got in front of him. "Me and mommy are going to walk down to the convenience store. Do you want to come?"

Immediately, Hiro rose from the couch anf followed Sophie to the front door, glad to be able to leave the apartment for a little while. _At least I'll be able to clear my head... Hopefully. _Hiro thought as he followed the child out of the door and onto the street, where Honey Lemon was waiting. Even though she was pregnant, she would walk as if her back didn't hurt or the food she smelled all around her didn't bother her. She would walk to the convenience store every day just to buy pizza, a craving she had developed about a week ago.

Hiro walked a little way behind Honey Lemon and Sophie, watching the mother and daughter happily talking. He heard the buzz of a streetlight come on and a car passed them with it's automatic head lights on dim. They entered the convenience store and Honey Lemon grabbed the food she was after, Sophie asked for a candy bar, while Hiro simply browsed around until they were finished. Honey Lemon asked Hiro if he wanted anything and he said he didn't. Once Honey Lemon paid for everything, Sophie unwrapped the candy bar and took a bite. Once they were out on the street, Sophie grabbed Hiro's hand because Honey Lemon carried a pizza box, even though Hiro offerred to.

Sophie let go of Hiro's hand to tear the wrapping paper apart, her boredom setting in as Hiro and Honey Lemon talked about designs for a nursery. Hiro knew how excited she was about the new baby and, even though he didn't understand everything she was talking about, he was glad she was happy. After everything she had been through, she deserved happiness. Everybody did.

In that happy moment, everything was shattered.

They didn't hear the van pulling up close to them.

They didn't see three men in masks emerge from the vehicle.

Hiro heard something behind him not even a second before one of the men snatched the most vulnerable person out of their small group. Sophie screamed in terror as one of the masked men wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. The man began running back toward the van, the other two staying back to make sure nobody intervened, metal baseball bats in their hands.

Honey Lemon dropped the food in her hand with a horrified expression. She began to run toward the men, trying to reach her daughter. "Sophie!"

"Mommy!" Sophie screamed, still kicking the man holding her, tears in her eyes.

The men pushed the enraged and terrified mother away, but not before Honey Lemon broke one's nose and slammed her fist into the other's eye. Hiro was already moving when the man lifted the baseball bat to strike the woman and he intercepted the attack. The man lost his balace and Hiro slammed his palms into the guy's chest, shoving him to the ground. Immediately, Hiro turned his attention to Sophie and he realized the man was already at the van.

The teen ran as fast as he could to the van, praying he reached it in time. Just as the vehicle began to move, Hiro leaped for the door just before the man managed to close it. He landed halfway inside the van and managed to quickly crawl to his feet, realizing there was another masked man inside the van with the one who held Sophie. Hiro lunged at the man holding his niece, but the other man grabbed Hiro by the shirt to stop him. The material ripped, but didn't tear all the way, forcing Hiro to lose his momentum and crash to the floorboards.

Adrenaline coursed through Hiro's veins as he kicked at the man attacking him, leaving a shoeprint on the side of the man's facemask. Hiro could hear Sophie's muffled screams as her abductor placed his hand over her mouth. A few seconds later, he cursed in pain and threw Sophie to the side as she bit his hand. Enraged, Hiro grabbed the man's shirt sleeve and dragged him forward, slamming his fist into the side of the man's face just before the other man regained his bearings and attacked.

Hiro ignored the pain in his wrist and knuckles and prepared to throw another punch. Suddenly, the driver swerved, making Hiro lose his balance and fall. Before the teen could get back on his feet, he was grabbed by the neck and he felt fingers tighten around his throat. Panic made him struggle to break free, but the man was too strong and outweighed him. Hiro looked desperately for a way to get the man away from him, but there wasn't anything he could do. Black spots began to dance and a ring of darkness began to form around the edge of his vision. He could feel his face turning purple and his heartbeat sounded like a slow, yet loud drum. The teen tried to force the hand away from his throat, but it was useless.

Instincively, Hiro tried to breathe, but oxygen couldn't enter his lungs and his body began to weaken. His vision became blurry and his lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. His arms fell to the floorboard and the teen found he didn't have the strength to even move a finger. Suddenly, the man choking him cried out in pain and released Hiro. The teen rolled onto his side, gasping for breath, feeling like he was sucking air through a straw. Each breath he took seemed to result in a cough, torturing his lungs even more but his vision began to clear and he realized what happened.

Sophie had managed to kick the guy choking Hiro in the groin before the other man grabbed her again. Hiro tried to get to his feet, but found his muscles didn't want to cooperate. He slumped against the side of the van, trying to urge himself back on his feet. The driver swerved again and the man lost his balance, releasing Sophie to catch himself. Hiro used the momentum of the swerve to lunge at the man, sending them crashing to the floorboard at the back of the vehicle. Hiro broke the man's nose before the man managed to throw him off. The teen used that moment to get in front of Sophie, using his body as a shield to protect her.

The two men rose to their feet, preparing for the next attack. Hiro simply glared at them, waiting to see which one moved first. His senses were heightened, but the teen still couldn't find a way to get Sophie out of this mess. The men attacked simeutaneously and Hiro done his best to fight back. However, he was outmatched. When Hiro, threw a right hook, the man grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing the teen to his knees before restraining the other arm. The other men slammed his fist into Hiro's stomach, making the air rush from his lungs, then punched the teen's face, splitting his lip. Hiro tried to kick at the man behind him, but another punch to the face made the world around him spin and everything go black for a moment.

Hiro felt himself being pushed forward and his body began to feel like it was sailing through the air. A heartbeat later, he hit the pavement and rolled into a parked car, his head hitting the door. His brain barely registered Sophie's screams becoming more distant and the sound of police sirens coming closer before finally blacking out.

Meanwhile, Honey Lemon had ran after the van and saw Hiro get thrown from it when it went around a curve. Immediately after that, it zoomed away, taking her precious daughter with her. Honey Lemon had her cell phone up to her ear, she had called the police almost immediately after the two guys blocking her path ran off once the vehicle began moving. The police were on their way, but they would be too late.

Sophie Hamada was abducted.

The half-eaten candy bar remained on the sidewalk.

* * *

**Guest Reviews:**

AkariHamada: I'm glad you like it and you already know Hiro regaining his memories is going to be a great chapter! You're putting a lot of faith in me! Haha! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! I hope to see you next chapter!

PigeonToast: I literally laughed out loud at your reviews! XD Anyway, I'm glad you like this story so far! Sorry for 'stealing your soul', hopefully I'll give it back to you soon... Then again, maybe not. :p Thanks for reviewing!

**A.N: Sorry if you think this chapter was a little rushed or just completely sucks all together! I'm running on little sleep and homework and stress from college is definitely weighing me down. I'll update again as soon as I can! **


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Once again, sorry for the late update! College has been kicking my butt thanks to midterms, so I had to study for those (didn't do well, but that's okay, I'm still passing) and I had a bunch of homework in between that. I know I told somebody that I would update over a week ago, but I was slammed with homework and tests, so I am extremely sorry! Plus, I have to schedule my next semester classes. Also, check out kaze7 on Deviantart. She created a digital media manga style art thing (sorry, I'm not familiar with Deviantart and I don't know what you call it) that is an alternate version of this story. She read the first two chapters of this story and was motivated to create the image "Really bad accident", which was awesome! Shoutout to you kaze7, you're a talented individual! If anybody draws or creates anything related to this story, let me know, please! I'd love to see the ideas and creativity! Now, let's get this chapter started! I hope you enjoy!**

Hiro's eyes opened slowly and he moved slightly, immediately wincing in pain from the pain shooting through his head. The teen took a deep breath, then began to look around the room, He was back at the Aunt Cass' apartment on the couch and the teen sit up quickly. However, he instantly regretted it and found himself getting sick from the pain coursing through his body.

"Easy, Hiro. You're okay." Gogo was sitting in a chair beside the couch.

Hiro looked around again, "What am I doing here? What hap-" The teen stopped and his skin became pale. "Sophie?"

Gogo looked down at the floor and shook her head. "They took her. Tadashi and Honey Lemon are with the police right now. We tried to use the scanners on Baymax, but he can't find them." The woman heard Hiro begin to move and saw him get out of the bed, ripping the blanket that covered him away from his body. "What are you doing?" Gogo demanded, rising to her feet and moving to stop Hiro.

"I can't just lay here. I have to do something." Hiro stated, turning toward the direction the voices were coming from.

Gogo rested her hand on his shoulder, "You're hurt. You have to take it easy for a while and-"

Hiro pulled away from her, ignoring the woman and going toward the kitchen. "How long has Sophie been gone?"

Something about his tone of voice made Gogo remain silent. In that moment, Hiro Hamada looked like he was about ready to kill someone. A look so murderous that it shocked her, even scared her. Hiro walked through the door, determined to find out more information. It hurt to walk, it even hurt to breathe, but he knew he had to do something. He had to make sure Sophie came home safely.

Hiro heard the bell over the kitchen door ring as the door was pulled open and the police officers left. Honey Lemon sat in one of the chairs, her eyes practically dead. Aunt Cass looked like she was about ready to fall apart, her eyes bloodshot from the tears. "Do you know anything yet?" Hiro asked, hoping somebody would answer him.

Aunt Cass shook her head, "They said they would do everything they could, but there were no leads..."

Hiro leaned against the wall, his eyes meeting the floor. He knew he had to do something, but without leads, what could he do? Suddenly, the door opened and Wasabi and Fred walked in, a depressed look on their face. Hiro realized they must have been looking for Sophie while the police report was being filed. Both Fred and Wasabi sat in chairs scattered around the room.

After a moment, a whisper broke the silence. "It's your fault."

Nobody spoke. Nobody breathed as Tadashi turned around to face his younger brother, his eyes gleaming in anger. "This is all your fault!" Before Hiro could register what was happening, Tadashi had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pinned him against the wall, lifting the teen off his feet and making the shirt choke him. Those who were sitting immediately jumped to their feet. Tadashi's grip tightened and he spun, throwing Hiro to the ground and the teen slid on the tile a few feet before stopping.

Sore from the attack, Hiro winced and slowly climbed to his feet. Within seconds, his friends stood in front of him, facing Tadashi. "What do you think you're doing? He's your brother!" Gogo yelled.

Fred nodded, "Yeah man. None of this is his fault."

Hiro finally snapped out of his shock and stepped around his friends, walking to his older brother. "You're right, Tadashi. All of this is my fault..." Hiro's hands clenched into fists and the teen met his brother's eyes. Tears filled the teen's eyes momentarily, but he willed them away. "I know Sophie was kidnapped because of me and I _will _get her back. Nobody else is going to get hurt because of me." Hiro walked past his brother, "No matter what the cost."

The teen went upstairs to his room and shut the door, locking it behind him. He walked over to the small device sitting in the floor. After muttering an 'ow', the robotic healthcare assisstant rose from the device. "Hello, Hiro. You're neurological patterns-"

"Baymax, I'm going to be gone for a while, but-" Hiro began, but was cut off by the robot.

"Where are you going?" Baymax questioned.

Hiro took a deep breath and exhaled, the fear rising into his chest. "I have to find Sophie, but I need you to stay here and protect everbody in case something goes wrong."

Baymax asked, "When will you return?"

Hiro turned away from the robot and saw his reflection on the computer screen. "I don't know..." Hiro noticed how tired he really looked, as if the entire world was weighing down on his shoulders. In reality, the world was weighing on his shoulders. After all, his family and friends were the only world her was certain about at this point. The teen knew only a little of what had happened to him, but it was enough to turn him into a ghost of his former self.

Imaginary Hiro grinned as he materialized behind the teen, "Everyone has it, but no one can lose it." Imaginary Hiro had his arms crossed, "To win this, you have to become me, you have to remember what happened. You have to remember who you really are."

Hiro turned to face his Imaginary self, "How?"

Imaginary Hiro disappeared, not telling the teen anymore. Hiro sighed in frustration, then turned back to the robotic healthcare assisstant, a determined expression on his face, "Baymax, start recording."

What Hiro didn't realize was there was somebody listening to everything he was saying.

Eventually, Hiro snuck out the window, having a feeling that he done this several times before. Hiro glanced looked back at the Lucky Cat Cafe. "I'm going to make this right. I'll get Sophie back. I promise."

* * *

Tadashi waited for an hour.

That was how long it took for him to receive a text message saying the plan was going smoothly.

Tadashi simply had to wait for the right moment to get Hiro out of the house and that moment came sooner than he expected. He knew Hiro would blame himself and be overcome with guilt, forcing him to leave and search for Sophie himself.

During the fight with Hiro, Tadashi had placed a small tracker on the teen's shirt sleeve. No one would be able to see it, but his every movement would be monitored. Tadashi glanced at his phone and saw a red dot moving along the streets of San Fransokyo, going to the final destination. The destination that would turn into the teen's grave.

Within a few days, Hiro Hamada would be dead.

Tadashi smiled and turned his attention toward his friends, wife, and aunt, who were still angry with him after what had happened.

It didn't matter how they felt toward him.

Everything was going according to plan.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

Sophie couldn't stop shaking from the fear as she sat in a room, blindfolded. She had stopped begging her captors to release her, knowing it wouldn't work. Instead, she remained silent, her small form trembling as the overwhelming fear consumed her. _I want to see Mommy and Daddy. I want to see Great-Aunt Cass. I want to see Hiro. _The thought of them made her lip tremble, but she refused to cry any more. _I just want somebody to save me._

Suddenly, a hand gripped her shoulder while the other hand removed the blindfold. Sophie recoiled from the contact and her heart began to beat more quickly, terrified that something bad was going to happen. The man in front of her wore bandages covering his face and arms, so she could only see his nose, eyes, and mouth. "Don't worry, child. Your hero will be coming soon." He pointed to a small computer screen where a little red dot moved through small corridor type things. Only then did Sophie realize it was a map of San Fransokyo.

The man laughed, noticing her realization. "You see, this entire thing was a trap. I don't expect you to understand, since you're so young, but you'll eventually see how this plays out."

Sophie felt the tears begin to form in her eyes, "W-why are you d-doing this?" She stuttered, her terror making her voice break.

The bandaged man smiled, "Revenge." Then, he turned to one of the other men in the room. "Is the other prisoner ready for the exchange?" When the other man nodded, the bandaged man smirked. "Just as planned."

* * *

Hiro stepped onto the SFIT campus once again and went to the lab that was there. He recalled everything that Honey Lemon had told him about the accompishments his family and friends had made here. Somehow, Hiro was determined to use that information to his advantage. Hiro moved throughout the room, searching for the components to begin forming the inventions he had in mind.

"Hiro Hamada, right?" A voice spoke from the doorway, startling Hiro.

The teen turned to face the older man. He was dressed professinoally and Hiro assumed he was a professor at the college. "Um... Yeah."

"Tadashi Hamada's brother, if I'm correct. He told me a lot about you." The man stated, the door closing behind him. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Robert Callaghan, a professor here and a professional in robotics. I taught your brother while he attended this college."

Hiro didn't know what to say, "Uh, that's pretty cool." Hiro figured he wasn't supposed to be there, even though the doors were all unlocked. He'd simply come back later during the night when he would be able to sneak in. Until then, he could try to find where Sophie was taken. _Maybe I can make an upgrade to the scanners. The only problem is my memory... What if I just mess up Baymax's entire system?_ "Sorry, it was nice to meet you, but I really need to be going."

Hiro began to walk toward the doorway, but Callaghan refused to move. "Tadashi told me about your niece, Sophie, is it? I'm sorry to hear that she's going through such a terrible thing. Have police been able to locate her?"

The teen shook his head, "They don't have anything to go on."

Callaghan took a step forward and rested a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Tell me, Hiro. Would you do anything for your family?"

The teen paused, unsure why this guy was asking such a thing. "Yeah."

"Then I hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to do." Callaghan stated and his grip tightened on the teen's shoulder. Hiro tried to pull away, but not before he felt the needle of a syringe dig into his arm. Hiro used all of his strength to shove the man backward, then began to run for the closed door. At least, he tried to run to the door.

Instead, Hiro stumbled into one of the tables, making random papers fall and scatter on the floor. The teen's mind was spinning and his body began to grow weak. Hiro fell to his hands and knees, trying to get back on his feet. "W-what did you do?"

"It's not lethal. It will just paralyze you for a few hours." Callaghan stated and waited for the drug to do its job. "I'm sorry, Hiro. You sounded like a good, smart teenager, but please understand. The guys that have Sophie have my daughter, Abigail, as well. If I take you to them, I'll get my daughter back. I'll do anything for Abigail, Hiro. Anything."

Hiro couldn't support his weight anymore and fell to the ground facedown. His entire body felt heavy and a weird numb feeling began to consume his entire body. Hiro reached for the phone in his pocket, but it was kicked out of his hands and shattered instantly. After that, Hiro found he could barely move a finger. "Let me go... I have to save Sophie." Tears of frustration filled the teen's eyes. "I have to..." He tried to move, but his body refused to cooperate. Hiro screamed in rage before he was eventually silenced by a gag.

Once the teen was completely paralyzed, Callaghan went to his office and grabbed the Kabuki mask from the desk drawer. Even though he had disrupted the recording to the cameras, it was better to be safe than sorry. Then, he returned to the lab and picked the teen up, then moved down the empty hallways. Finally, he made it to the empty parking garage and put the teen in the trunk of his car, confident that he wouldn't be able to move anytime soon.

Hiro felt the car slowly pull away, but he couldn't do anything about it. Fear began to make his heart beat fast and the teen found himself panicking, the inability to move only made the panic worse. Hiro felt the car turn and the teen closed his eyes to control the whirlwind of emotions inside him. Then, he realized that he would be able to see Sophie and make sure she was safe. Perhaps, he could still find a way to save her. With that thought in mind, Hiro's defeated hope turned into a small ember, waiting for an opportunity to spark the upcoming fire.

And, just like that, Hiro Hamada was gone.

* * *

***Meanwhile***

Honey Lemon was worried when Hiro didn't come downstairs for dinner. However, she figured he was simply too upset to be around Tadashi, so she took a plate of food up to the teen's room. She knocked on the door, "Hiro?" Not hearing him answer, she opened the door anyway. "I figured you would be-" Hiro was not in the room, only an activated Baymax.

"Baymax, where is Hiro?" Honey Lemon demanded.

"He said he had to save Sophie. He told me to relay a message to you, your friends, and relatives." Baymax stated.

A minute later, they were all crowded in the room after Honey Lemon told everybody Hiro was gone. Baymax began to play the recording. Hiro stood in the middle of the room, staring directly at the cameras. _"I know you guys are probably going to hate me for this, but I can't just sit on the sidelines. I know everything that has happened has been because of me. Because of my mistakes. You have all been hurt by the things that I can't even remember, but I'm not going to let you get hurt again." The teen rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not even entirely sure of who I'm up against, but I can't let this go on any longer. I'm going to get Sophie back, one way or another. I know the risks, but I don't care. She's too young, too innocent to be put through something like this."_

_"Since I woke up in the hospital, you guys have been patient with me, even though it must have been hard. You have no idea how much that means to me. I know you all were a part of the life I don't remember, but I'm glad to at least know you right now. I know you all well enough that you guys are thinking of a way track me down. Don't. I just ask that you guys remember that this was my choice." Hiro glanced at the clock, "I don't have a lot of time, so I'm going to end this quickly. No matter how this ends, I just want to say I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. You all deserve better and I hope, soon, that you will be able to put all of this behind you. I have to go, now." The teen hesitated a moment, then added, "Love you, guys."_

Then, the recording shut off and the screen went black as the silence filled the entire room. Nobody could say anything, they could only wonder if they could have done something to stop the teen from leaving and possibly doing something risky.

None of them could shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen and they just heard an ominous message, one they would never be able to forget...

Hiro's final words.

* * *

**A/N: Also, before anybody says that Tadashi wouldn't do this, remember that Tadashi isn't exactly... well, Tadashi right now. ;) **

**And, I know this chapter may feel a bit rushed, but I had to get the action going and that was the only way I knew to do it...**

**I know I haven't replied to reviews, I honestly haven't had time. Plus, I figured you guys were wanting the next chapter. I plan on finishing this story in December when my Christmas Break begins.**

**Also, my song inspiration for this chapter was "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Lorde. I hope you enjoyed! **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I know, another late update. Please, don't kill me! I just started a new semester of college and it is literally kicking my butt. All my classes are science related except for two. Plus, my health hasn't been that great lately. I think it's my gall bladder or something (don't worry about it, I'll live. It just makes me feel like crap.) Also, remember your reviews are deeply appreciated, even though I haven't had time to reply to them. On average, it takes me a little over three hours to reply to reviews and I simply don't have the time right now (I'd lose track of who I replied to as well). Anyway, let's get on with this chapter! Once again, I ask you to remember that Tadashi isn't himself right now (more will be revealed soon). Thanks for all the support! You guys are amazing!**

Sophie Hamada sat in the floor, surrounded by the evil men that had taken her from her family. Unable to cry anymore, the child simply sat in silence as the seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. Fear made her continue to tremble and she found herself feeling sick to her stomach from the terror she felt. Terror that nobody should have to endure, especially a child. Sophie continued to watch the small dot on the screen until it finally stopped for a moment, then moved again.

She was confused. Why did the dot on the screen stop? Who was coming to save her? Was she even going to be rescued? She didn't know and that made her tremble even more. Then, she began to hear the footsteps approaching the room. Sophie's eyes widened when the door opened and a girl was dragged into the room, her hands bound and eyes closed. _What's wrong with her? What did they do to her? _Sophie thought as the guards dropped the older lady beside her.

Finally Sophie remembered where she had seen this woman. _She was with Daddy's old professor when we went to the college once. _

"They bringing the other one up?" One man asked.

The other nodded, "Yeah, they're bringing him up now."

_Who else is here? _Sophie wondered, terrified at the men in front of her. _What's going to happen? _

Footsteps echoed in the hallway and Sophie couldn't see who was entering the room thanks to the men in front of her. All Sophie could see were the feet of three people and one was barely walking, as if his legs refused to move. The men in front of Sophie turned to the newomers.

"It's sad we're going through all this trouble for somebody that's going to end up being a corpse." The man shook his head and chuckled slightly. "We even had to bring that professor into this mess." The man took a step toward the newcomers and Sophie was finally able to see who the new captive was. The man continued talking, "The Boss will be with you soon, brat. I'd say you only have a few more days to live." Then, the men that were in front of Sophie left the room and the other two men threw Hiro onto the ground, then closed the door. The sound of the door locking seemed to echo in the room, making everybody have a foreboding feeling.

Hiro slowly picked himself off the ground, the drug still affecting his body slightly. Finally, the teen was able to get to his feet and he stumbled toward Sophie, who had tears in her eyes. These tears were a mixture of fear, worry, and even the relief that she was no longer alone anymore. Finally, Sophie was able to snap out of her stupor and she ran to her uncle, wrapping her arms around him and crying into his shirt.

Hiro hugged her back as she cried, glad Sophie seemed to be okay. Well, as okay as she could be given the circumstances. "Are you hurt?"

Sophie shook her head, "No." She looked up at Hiro, tears still streaming down her face. "Hiro, what's going to happen now?"

"I don't know, Sophie." Hiro stated, his mind racing in confusion and even fear.

Sophie's lip trembled, "A-are they going to kill us?"

Her question snapped Hiro out of his thoughts immediately and the teen knelt in front of the child so he could be eye-level with her. "I won't let them hurt you, Sophie. Okay? As long as I'm here, they won't lay a hand on you."

With tears still streaming down her face, the young child extended her hand toward Hiro, trembling. "Pinky swear?"

Hiro's fear rivalled Sophie's. In fact, it was possibly greater than hers at the moment. Because at that moment, Hiro knew he would do anything to protect his niece, even if it cost him his own life. Inhaling deeply to make sure his voice didn't shake when he answered the child, Hiro interlocked his pinky with Sophie's. "Pinky swear."

After that, Sophie and Hiro remained side by side, Hiro's arm over Sophie's shoulders in a protective gesture. He didn't know what was going to happen, he was afraid to know. However, regardless of what was to come, Hiro knew he had to make it through it.

He looked at the child that had fallen asleep against him, exhaustion finally taking over the child. Hiro knew he had to make it through this for Sophie. He had to stay strong and try to find a way to get her out of this mess he created. He would make sure she was reunited with her mother and father and make sure these psychopaths wouldn't come after her or the family anymore.

_Pinky swear, _Hiro thought as he glared at the door in front of him, waiting for it to open and seal his fate.

* * *

It wasn't long before that door opened.

Sophie was startled from her sleep when the door unlocked loudly and slammed open, two men entering the room and walking quickly toward them. Sophie wimpered and held onto Hiro's arm tightly, afraid of what would happen. One of the men grabbed Hiro's arm and dragged him to his feet, Sophie still clinging to his arm.

"No! Please don't take Hiro!" Sophie screamed at the men, not wanting to be seperated from her uncle, the only friendly face in this place.

The man closest to Sophie growled and grabbed the child by her shirt, trying to rip her away from Hiro. The teen glared at the man and pulled his hand from Sophie's grasp, grabbing the man's wrist. "Don't you lay a hand on her." Then, ignoring the men, Hiro turned to Sophie. "Just go back over there and sit down. Okay?"

Sophie shook her head, "No! Don't let them take you away from me!"

"Sophie." Hiro waited until the child's gaze met his. "It's going to be okay."

The men had enough by that time and dragged Hiro out of the room, leaving a crying Sophie behind. Only when the door shut and locked once again did the woman in the room with Sophie awaken. As soon as she saw Sophie and recognized her, she wondered what was going on, but with the distraught look on the child's face, she believed now wasn't the time to ask.

Hiro didn't try to fight the men as they walked down a long hallway. After all, what was the point? If he got away right now, these people would know that he would fo back for Sophie. They would use her against him and Hiro couldn't allow that to happen.

_You better think of something soon, Hiro. _Imaginary Hiro whispered from the corners of Hiro's mind.

Hiro didn't bother replying to the voice inside his head.

_They're going to kill you this time. They're going to kill us. _Imaginary Hiro continued.

They made it to a small, dark room and Hiro's hands were tied tightly around his back, his circulation nearly cut off. The material wrapped around his wrists cut into his skin when he tried to pull free, making small cuts into the teen's skin. A short time later, another man walked into the room, but Hiro couldn't see his entire face. Only the man's eyes, nose, and mouth were visible, but Hiro knew even if he saw the man's face, he wouldn't recognize him due to the amnesia.

An eerie laughter came from the man, making him sound less human. No, this guy was no longer a human. He was a monster. "It's been a while, Hiro Hamada. A lot has happened since the last time we saw each other. What's sad is the fact that you don't remember anything." Hiro's eyes widened, wondering how this man knew about his amnesia. "We've been watching you for a long time. We've been watching you and your family. Congratualtions on becoming an uncle again, by the way. Although, it's too bad you won't live to see your nephew."

Hiro couldn't stop the small tremble in his voice, "Who are you, then, since I don't remember?"

The man chuckled, "It's not going to work that way, Hiro. No. I'm not going to tell you who I am, but I believe you'll remember eventually." The man pulled a rusted knife from his pocket and smiled wickedly. "With a little help, of course." The bandaged man turned to the other two in the room, "Untie him and hold him down. We don't want him moving too much or we'll hit something vital."

In that moment, something snapped inside Hiro. When the men grabbed his arms to untie him, the teen struggled as much as he could, trying to get his feet underneath him so he could try to escape. He managed to knee one man's ribs, but not hard enough to deal any significant damage. The man cursed but Hiro still struggled until the men finally had him pinned down. The bandaged man knelt beside Hiro and used the knife to cut the fabric of the teen's shirt until the teen's back was visible.

_Why did you stop fighting? _Imaginary Hiro grew impatient. _Are you really going to let them do this again?!_

Hiro felt the cold steel touch his back and a moment later the sharp blade dug into his back, then the warm feeling of his own blood trickling down his sides. The teen gritted his teeth and instinctively tried to move away, but he knew there was nothing he could do. The bandaged men frowned, expecting the teen to beg for his life, but Hiro remained silent even as the knife dug deeper into his back.

Angered, the bandaged man placed the knife between the teen's shoulder blades and pressed deeper into the skin, then dragged the knife down. The rusted blade ripped through the skin and began to form a jagged line down the teen's back. Hiro bit his tongue until it bled, but was unable to stop the agonized scream from escaping his lungs. Black spots danced in front of his eyes and he began to feel nauseous as the pain intensified and blood streamed from the wound. Hiro blacked out for a moment and the next thing he knew, he was being held up by the two men and the bandaged man was standing in front of him, holding Hiro's chin so their eyes would meet.

"The pain you're feeling now is only going to get worse. You'll be begging to die soon enough." The man stated.

After inhaling a shaky breath, Hiro glared at the man. "I... I won't beg."

The bandaged man laughed and placed the knife against Hiro's cheek, making a cut deep enough for blood to trickle down. "Who said you would be begging for _your_ life? I'm sure that little brat wouldn't last long with our methods."

Hiro growled, "Don't touch her!"

"Unfortunately, I can't promise anything." The man stated, "Now, where were we?"

"Sophie hasn't done anything to you!" Hiro yelled, the anger overwhelming the feeling of pain.

The knife was placed against Hiro's throat. "No, it was all you, Hiro. You were the one who started all of this and I'm going to make you suffer like I've had to suffer!"

The man dropped the knife and backhanded the teen across the face, making the teen's bottom lip split open. A right hook caught Hiro's jaw and made his head jerk to the side and his vision darkened. However, even though Hiro's vision went dark, his mind became more clear.

After all this time, he was finally getting answers.

Because that last punch made something unexpected happen.

Imaginary Hiro smiled. _It's about time, even though it's a shame how this happened. At least now you won't be confused anymore._

Finally, after all this time, Hiro was finally regaining the one thing he had lost.

His memories.

* * *

Annoyed that the teen passed out so quickly, the bandaged man growled. "Take him back to the kid. Don't bother with tying him up, he won't be going anywhere as long as I have the child as leverage and his wounds will make sure he doesn't move."

"Yes sir." The two men stated and dragged the teen out of the room and down the hallway once again.

Sophie heard the door open and rose to her feet, freezing at the sight of her uncle's motionless body being dragged by the two men. They threw the teen to the ground, then left, locking the door behind him. The woman in the room immediately rushed to Hiro's side, checking his pulse. "He's alive." She stated, making Sophie snap out of it and move toward her uncle. She got on her knees beside the unconscious teen and stared at the blood streaming from his wounds. The woman carefully removed the remains of Hiro's shirt and tore the material, using the cleanest parts she could find to hold against the deep wounds.

"This is Tadashi Hamada's little brother right?" The woman stated, "And you're Tadashi's daughter."

Sophie nodded, not taking her eyes away from Hiro as she watched the woman try to stop the bleeding. "I know you. I've seen you and daddy's professor before."

The woman nodded, "I'm Abigail Callaghan." She turned her attention back to Hiro's bloodied form, worried the bleeding wouldn't stop.

After a minute of silence, Sophie spoke up. "Hiro will be okay. He told me everything would be okay."

It sounded like the child was trying to reassure herself, so Abigail simply nodded.

She wanted the child to have hope in this situation, even though it seemed like there was no such thing as hope at the moment.

Abigail wasn't going to take that one last ray of hope away from the child.

Now, they just had to pray for the bleeding to stop and that Hiro would wake up soon.

And that somebody would rescue them from these evil people.

* * *

_Hiro found himself standing in front of an old building and he could hear people cheering inside. The sound of metal hitting metal pierced the atmosphere as the botfight began. Imaginary Hiro appeared next to the real Hiro, looking toward the building._

_"This is where it all began, Hiro. This is where your Hell began." Imaginary Hiro stated._

_Hiro nodded and began to walk toward the building. Everything was familiar and Hiro knew this was a reality, not some dream he made up. This was an actual memory. One of the memories he had lost. The two Hiro's entered the building and walked among the crowd of people, making their way to the front. Hiro saw the past version of himself up front, a small robot in his hand._

_Two people who were obviously in charge of this turnout collected the money they earned in the previous botfight, "Who's next?"_

_Past Hiro stepped forward, "Can I try?"_

_People began to laugh and ridicule the teen challenging the two most accomplished botfighters in the city. Hiro expected the teen to be pushed aside but, surprisingly, Past Hiro's challenge was accepted. The botfight began and Past Hiro's robot was immediately demolished. Past Hiro looked shocked, "That was my first fight. Can I try again?"_

_The men agreed and Past Hiro's small robot reassembled itself, "Megabot. Destroy."_

_Within seconds, Megabot completely demolished the opponent's robot and Past Hiro began to collect the money. Outraged at the loss, the man yelled, "Get him!" At that order, the crowd surged forward, forcing Past Hiro to flee. Then, the scene changed and Imaginary and Hiro were outside standing next to a road. They saw Past Hiro running as fast as he could, but he tripped over something and was sent crashing to the ground. Before he could recover, the angry botfighter was on him, wrapping his hands around Past Hiro's throat. Hiro felt his own throat closing as if those hands were still choking him currently. In sheer determination, Past Hiro managed to grab a rock and slam it into the botfighter's head, making the man lose his grip on his neck. Instinctively, Past Hiro kicked the man away from him and onto the road. _

_A speeding truck slammed into the botfighter's body, a sickening thud echoing in the silent atmosphere. Past Hiro stared in horror as the body rolled along the road before coming to a complete stop. Past Hiro rose to his feet and ran away from the scene as fast as he could, wanting to leave the horrors of this night in the past._

_The memory disappeared and Imaginary Hiro stated, "This was only the beginning."_

_With that statement, they were sent into another memory._

* * *

**A/N: So, hopefully the last part didn't confuse anybody. It's actually really difficult to write Hiro's memories coming back, but hopefully it works for you guys. In case anyone is confused, Hiro (the real one) and Imaginary Hiro are both in the real Hiro's memories, watching them play out with Past Hiro... I don't really know how to explain it any better, but if you're confused, just contact me and I'll try to find a better way to explain it. The next chapter, as you can guess, will continue with Hiro's memories (which you guys have been wanting to see for a while now) and, I must say, I'm excited to fill in the blanks. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Leave a review, favorite, and follow and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I possibly can! Thank you guys for all the support! You have no idea how much it means to me as a fanfiction writer!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry you are having to wait so long for an update, college absolutely murdered my brain and soul. I literally stressed about my Anatomy final so much that I gave myself a migraine and I had a job at the local hospital, which took up more time. Thank you so much for supporting this story through reviews, favorites, and follows! I have began to upload this story on Wattpad as well, so for those of you who have Wattpad account, go vote, share, etc.. Also, I have changed the cover for this story simply because I wanted to draw and was bored, so I hope you guys like it. As for Hiro having muscles in the drawing, it was just easier to draw like that and actually looked better (no, I'm not saying you can't look good without muscles :p). **

**P.S. I'm going to do a brief summary on the last chapter so you guys won't have to go back and read it if you're confused. Also, this fanfic will be ending soon. However, I have another story on Wattpad that I've been working on in between classes and will continue updating called 'Cursed by the Bite' under the username RenegadeDrummer **

**P.S.S. Go check out my best friend's profile on Wattpad! Her username is KaylaLusk5. She is an amazing writer!**

**Here's the summary of the last chapter! Thanks again for being patient!**

**Summary of Last Chapter: Okay, so Sophie was kidnapped in former chapters and she finds that Abigail Callaghan is in the same situation as her. Callaghan, who had abducted Hiro to free Abigail, gave Hiro to the evil, bandaged man (obviously the Boss, right?). They tortured Hiro a little bit before knocking him unconscious, which began to make Hiro's memories come back. Hiro remembered the night the Boss' brother was killed after being hit by a car while chasing Hiro after he fled from a bot fight gone wrong. **

**Song inspiration for this chapter: "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" Resident Evil 7 main theme. It's creepy, yet beautiful.**

**Sorry for the long A/N! I hope you enjoy! Also, this chapter is going to be split into parts. This is part one, the next chapter will be part two. There may be a part three, but that just depends on his far this memory thing goes. If anybody is confused about this chapter, please let me know and I'll try to explain it the best I can! Also, I'll reply to reviews someday, I swear! I just have to figure out where I left off.**

* * *

_Hiro and Imaginary Hiro ended up outside in an alleyway as the memory changed. Something ran by Hiro, startling him momentarily. When he turned, he saw his past self running, his breath coming in panicked gasps until he realized he was blocked by the wall of a building. Hiro then heard the footsteps and voices of the people who were pursuing his past self. "You can't run anymore, kid."_

_Past Hiro stopped looking for an exit and whirled around to face the people after him. He tried to hide the terror he was feeling, but the mask was beginning to slip. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened. Just let me leave!"_

_However, the men simply began to surround him. "It's not that simple, kid. The Boss wants revenge and sent us after you." The man talking laughed, "I'd really hate to be you right now. The Boss is going to make sure you die a painful death." The man gestured toward the teen, "Get him and make sure he stays quiet until you get him in the car. I'll call the Boss and tell him we've got the kid."_

_The men began to walk threateningly toward Past Hiro as the teen pressed his back against the wall that trapped him. "Stay back... Please, I didn't do anything wrong! It wasn't my fault that guy was killed! Pl-" Past Hiro was overtaken, but still fought with everything he had. _

_Hiro made a move forward to help his Past self, but Imaginary Hiro held him back. "This has already happened. You can't change it now."_

_"But..." Hiro paused and realized the imaginary form of himself was right. He was helpless because this had already happened. There was nothing Hiro could do as he watched his past self get beaten to a bloody pulp by these men. Past Hiro fell to the ground after a right hook connected with his jaw and spit out the blood in his mouth that came from his teeth cutting into the inside of his cheek. Two men grabbed his arms and hauled him to his feet, but Past Hiro began to kick at the men until somebody grabbed his ankles. _

_"Let go of me!" Past Hiro yelled. "Let go! Let-" The men lifted Past Hiro into the air and slammed him onto the hard ground, winding him and making his body scream in pain. Past Hiro curled up in a ball to try to escape the pain, wrapping his arms around his chest in an attempt to force himself to breathe once again. Then, one of the men kicked the teen in the head, making the world go black around him. Hiro and Imaginary Hiro could only watch as the men carried the unconscious body out of the the alley and into the trunk of a waiting car. The car pulled away and there were no tangible witnesses around._

_Hiro felt a bundle of nerves bunch up in his stomach and a sick feeling made his skin crawl. "All of this happened because of the guy that was killed? That wasn't my fault!"_

_Imaginary Hiro glared, "You think I don't already know that? The Boss doesn't see it that way, though, and that's why you're in the situation you're in. That's why the Boss is after you." Imaginary Hiro paused for a moment, "And it only gets worse from here, but you have to remember what happened if you want to survive in reality. You have to know what you're up against, what we're up against."_

_Hiro took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I know."_

_In that moment, they were sent to another memory and Hiro found himself in a familiar old building. The Past Hiro was lying in the floor blindfolded, bruises covering his body, drops of blood on his pant legs, and his wrists and ankles were bound. A rag was stuffed in his mouth with the ends tied around the back of his hand, but he still struggled to break teen shivered from a mixture of cold and fear, making his teeth chatter. Hiro realized there was a bit of a time skip from the time Past Hiro was first captured and now, but Hiro could fill in the blanks. _

_With a loud creak, the door to the small room opened and Past Hiro turned toward the noise, panic coursing through his body as he heard the person come closer. Hiro and his imaginary counterpart could only watch as the man finally stopped beside the injured teen. Anger spread across the man's face and he stomped on Past Hiro's side, the teen's cry of pain blocked by the cloth in his mouth. _

_"You're going to die here, kid." The man teased, "We'll make sure of that."_

_The man removed the gag from the teen's mouth and the barely whispered, "Somebody will find me."_

_With a loud laugh, the man stated, "Nobody cares about you! If they did, you would have already been rescued. Think what you want, kid, but it's not going to change reality."_

_Finally, the panic that Past Hiro had built up within him escaped as he yelled, "Just let me go!"_

_The man reached for the knife in his pocket, "Now where's the fun in that?" The tormenter knelt down next to the teen and placed the cold blade against the teen's skin._

_Hiro felt sick to his stomach, knowing what was about to happen. "Oh, God... I can't watch this..." _

_Imaginary Hiro spoke, "It's already happened. This is something you can't escape, but you have to watch it. You wanted to remember everything and this is part of it." Imaginary Hiro repeated, "There's no escaping this."_

_Past Hiro's scream of agony made Hiro want to cover his ears and he nearly did. However, he realized that his imaginary counterpart was right. This had already happened, he couldn't run or hide from it. After all, Hiro had already seen the scars not long ago in the mirror when he went back to Tadashi and Honey Lemon's house. He was able to understand that he had been tortured, but he never thought he would practically relive the moment. The nauseous feeling never settled in the stomach, but the teen had hardened his resolve to not look away. He had to watch everything, he had to understand the memories he had lost and he wouldn't be able to do that if he looked away._

_Past Hiro never passed out from the pain or blood loss. Warm tears slid down his face and the blood streamed down his sides and, once the letter 'e' was carved into his back, Past Hiro gave up fighting. He was too weak to fight anymore and the little bit he struggled was too weak to accomplish anything. His brain seemed to shut down from the agony and the state of his mind was accurately described with the bloody words on his back. In that moment of the past, Hiro Hamada was broken._

_Tears streamed down Hiro's face as he watched his tormenter leave the room, blood dripping from the knife. Past Hiro remained on the floor, shaking from a mixture of shock, pain, fear, and blood loss. A whimper escaped the teen's lips, then turned into a small sob. "I can't... I can't do this anymore."_

_Finally, Past Hiro slipped into a blissful unconsciousness and was able to momentarily escape the pain. Two men entered the room and Hiro and Imagainary Hiro watched as they wrapped a bandage tightly around the teen's torso to stop the bleeding. Then, they left, not bothering to move the teen out of his own puddle of blood._

_Darkness surround Hiro and Imaginary Hiro watched as the teen took everything in. "That was just the beginning of everything. Eventually, the people who done this to you assumed you were too weak to do anything. That was a mistake."_

_The scene changed slightly, but the room was still the same. Two men had finished changing the teen's bandages to prevent infection (they didn't want hime dead yet), then walked out the door. As soon as they left, Past Hiro turned to look at the door, noticing it didn't sound like it normally did. Slowly, the teen crawled to his knees. His entire body, especially his back, screamed in protest, but the teen simply bit his lip and kept moving until he was on his hands and knees. Hiro watched as his past self crawled over to the door and reached for the handle. For the first time since his captivity, the doorknob turned in his hand._

_"They forgot to lock the door?" Hiro questioned._

_Imaginary Hiro nodded, "They figured you were too weak to move, probably, so they didn't bother with the lock. Either that or they just forgot to lock it. Don't question your blessings, count them."_

_Determination sprakled in Past Hiro's eyes and the teen used the handle to pull himself this his feet. He staggered slightly, but placed a hand against the wall to regain his balance. With a deep breath, Hiro watched himself open the door as quietly as he could and look outside. Nobody was in the hallway, so the teen stepped outside the room that he had been tormented constantly in. _

_The teen carefully walked down the hallway, then made a right turn and walked down another hallway. The place was dark and the walls were made of an old style brick, so the teen knew he was in some sort of abandoned warehouse. He walked down countless hallways until he finally heard a door slam loudly, startling the teen, the movement pulling on the wounds. Hiro felt his past self panic at the realization that they most likely knew he had , Past Hiro began to move further down the hallway, but stopped when he heard a door ahead of him being opened. _

_Without thinking, Hiro moved into a room close to him and looked around for a place to hide. Spotting a locker, the teen stumbled toward it and opened it. Without glancing toward the door, the teen stepped into the small locker and shut the door quietly, trying to silence the sound of his breathing. _

_Hiro heard the voices coming closer and closer until somebody came into the room. Quickly, the man glanced around the room, his eyes settled on the locker, then he began to move toward it. Hiro found his heart racing in his chest as the man finally stopped in front of the locker, his hand reaching toward the handle. The man's hand touched it..._

_A loud yell echoed throughout the building and the man turned toward the sound. Immediately, he turned away from the locker and ran out of the room toward the voice. Hiro felt himself relax slightly then watched as his past self opened the locker door and stepped out. He was shaking from fear, pain, and exhaustion, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins allowed him to keep going. The teen walked out of the room, looked down the hallway, then began to carefully jog down it. Past Hiro kept turning down different hallways, staying away from the sound of voices until he found a set of stairs. _

_With newfound energy that came from the thought of finally leaving this place, Past Hiro ran down the stairs and down another hallway. He found an old tunnel and began to walk through it without a second thought. The deeper he went, the darker it became until the teen couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. A faint trickle of light eventually appeared above him and the teen was able to climb a small ladder after a few failed attempts. Desperate, he moved the contraption over his head and the manhole cover was eventually pushed to the side. Quickly, the teen climbed out of the tunnel and began to run down the unfamiliar street, away from captivity._

_"So, I was able to escape." Hiro stated as his world became dark once again, leaving him alone with his imaginary self. "So what happened after that?"_

_Before he knew it, the scene change once again and Hiro Hamada was back in his room at the Lucky Cat Cafe. Tadashi had moved out long ago from the looks of it, probably since Sophie was born, since what used to be his side didn't look used in years. However, Hiro's older brother was sitting in the computer chair, tapping his foot impatiently and checking the clock with a worried sigh. Finally, he heard something at the window and Hiro watched the memory version of himself climb up through the window. Memory Hiro stopped and looked at the figure sitting in the computer chair, "What are you doing here?"_

_Tadashi turned toward the teen, "Aunt Cass called me. She said you snuck out again."_

_Past Hiro sighed and began to walk toward the bed, "I'm too tired to deal with this right now."_

_Tadashi rose to his feet and took a few steps toward Hiro, grabbing the teen's arm. "No, we're talking about this right now. You're sneaking out at night, bot-fighting, and it's worrying Aunt Cass to death. It's worrying me, too. She told me you haven't been eating or sleeping, so I want to know what's going on."_

_Past Hiro pulled his arm away, "I'm fine." He muttered under his breath._

_"I'm not buying that." Tadashi stated, "You're hurting everybody around you, Hiro, including yourself."_

_Past Hiro glared, "As if you care. It wasn't too long ago that you told me you weren't going to help me out again, so why do you care now?"_

_Tadashi clenched his fists, "I've always been there for you! When are you going to see that?"_

_"You haven't always been there for me!" The memory version of Hiro yelled, "You haven't!" By then, the teen's eyes shone with pain and fury. "I don't want to see you acting like my brother again! Get out of here!"_

_Hurt flashed across Tadashi's eyes and he stood motionless for a moment before grabbing his jacket and walking out the door, leaving Past Hiro alone. Past Hiro gritted his teeth and grabbed the closest thing he could reach and threw the object against the wall. The small alarm clock broke when it hit the wall and Past Hiro slumped down until he was sitting on the floor. Past Hiro leaned his back against the bed momentarily before wincing in slight pain and pulling away. He rose to his feet and winced again, then moved to the mirror on the other side of the room. _

_Slowly, the past version of Hiro took off his shirt, revealing the knife wounds in his back, still a bit red and just beginning to scab over. Past Hiro checked the wounds using the mirror, grabbing peroxide he had hidden in one of the drawers. The past teen inhaled deeply then poured some of the hydrogen peroxide over his back, making it bubble as the infection was attacked by the liquid substance. _

_Tears streamed down Past Hiro's face, but not because of the burning of the peroxide. "You weren't there when I really needed you. You really abandoned me, now look at me." _

_Imaginary Hiro turned toward the real Hiro, "Do you understand what's going on? This is where things really began to take a turn for the worst. To put it simple, you were arrested a lot for botfighting and, eventually, Aunt Cass sent you to live with Tadashi, Honey Lemon, and Sophie to keep you out of a juvenille detention center."_

_Imagainary Hiro paused for a moment, letting Hiro take everything in. "That was when everything became more complicated."_

_Hiro guessed immediately. After all, it didn't take much to put two and two together. "Tadashi, Honey Lemon, Sophie... Everybody." Hiro felt the fear rising up in him as everything began to come together. _

_Imaginary Hiro nodded, "That's right. Everybody got involved. They became targets."_

_As Imaginary Hiro said that, another memory began to form._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for another author's note, but I just wanted to put this here so it wouldn't crowd the first part of the chapter.**

**West Virginia has been ravaged by terrible flooding. Those who live in the US, may have seen it on the news or the Internet, but I know some of my readers are from other countries. Please keep West Virginia in your prayers/thoughts. A lot of people have lost their homes, families, everything. It's so sad. Luckily, I don't live in a county that was damaged by the flooding, but I hate it that my beautiful state was hit so hard.**

**In WV, we take care of each other. There are volunteer fire departments, churches, and businesses that are taking up donations of hygeine products, cleaning supplies, and most importantly bottled water. Even individuals are buying stuff and taking it to organizations that are going to drive to the destroyed counties. Last I heard, 24 lives were lost, two of which were children. :'(**

**Our state is not the most wealthy state. In fact, we are the most highly taxed state in the US and the coal mines are slowly being shut down, making many people trying to find other jobs. However, after this flooding, many have lost everything and once the flooding is over, many won't have a job to buy back what they lost. If you are in the US, I encourage you to donate to to victims and help WV get back on its feet once again. We are a strong state and we will recover over time, but it still helps knowing other people and states have our back.**

**To those who have donated their money/time to get WV back on its feet again, we can't thank you enough! God bless you all!**


	27. EXCERPT and AN

**A/N: PLEASE READ TO THE END! THERE IS AN EXCERPT OF THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

I know, it's the dreaded Author's Note. But don't worry, I swear it won't be as bad as you think (hopefully). I just wanted to update you guys on this story.

As you know, my updates have slown down quite a bit. **Please know that I will NOT give up on this story!** I'm too emotionally connected to absolutely discard it at any point in my life, regardless of what comes up.

However, I am kind of stuck as of right now. I'm going to have to read through the entire fanfic and figure out where I was going with this once again. I know how it's going to end (which will only be a few chapters away), but I have to figure out how to get there and actually find the time to write it.

In order to do that, I have to have several days to myself and that is time I simpy don't have as of right now. I am in college and I'm currently going through Nursing school. Since I'm in my second year of college, I'm taking actual Nursing classes. Needless to say, it's more difficult than I imagined and it taking up a lot of my time for Fanfiction (basically, the classes are kicking my butt and it's taking all I have to pass).

**I'll definitely be able to update around December 15th-20th because I will be on Christmas Break (trust me, it can't come soon enough!). **

However, when I do have free time between classes, I still write. I am currently an author on Wattpad under the name of RenegadeDrummer. I write on Wattpad between classes because I have the app on my phone and it is more convenient. Therefore, you can check out my stories on there if you're interested.

There you go. That wasn't so bad, was it?

I'm terribly sorry to have been so neglectful of my awesome readers. You guys are simply amazing and I cannot say that enough!

I hope you guys understand, but I'll be back on here as soon as I can! I promise!

Now, you guys didn't really think I was just going to leave you with the A/N did you? I'm not that cruel, so here's a little excerpt of what you can expect in the next chapter. Sorry it is so short, but I just wanted to put something minor in here before starting with major events.

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_Hiro found himself standing next to his imaginary counterpart in front of an ice cream store. When Hiro looked slightly to the right, he saw the past version of himself holding a dog's leash as the creature growled threateningly down the street. Fear was etched on Past Hiro's face as he watched the men come closer toward him. Hiro felt his own heartrate quicken as the threat neared their position. The dog was growling loudly by this point and Past Hiro took a step closer to the German Shepard and gently stroked it's fur. "It's okay, boy." The slight tremor in the teen's voice made it evident that it was not okay._

_Suddenly, the door to the ice cream shop opened and three familiar faces emerged as Tadashi, Honey Lemon, and Sophie walked through Hiro and Imaginary Hiro. The older Hamada gave Past Hiro the vanilla ice cream cone complete with gummy bears before the four began to walk down the street. Realizing they were walking toward the men, Hiro held his breath as he watched the scene unfold, expecting to watch his past self and family be attacked at any given moment. _

_Imaginary Hiro spoke, "Nothing happened. You all managed to get home safely."_

_Hiro breathed a sigh of relief, then his expression hardened when he realized something. "Not now, at least. Something has happened at some point for me to be in the situation I'm in. Well, all of us, really."_

_Imaginary Hiro nodded, "Yeah, but that happens a little later. Right now, I'm just showing you all the minor events that lead you to the major ones. You have to remember everything that's important."_

_"You've told me that already and I understand." Hiro stated, his annoyance growing. "But Sophie is back in that place with the Boss and his group. I have to be there for her. Don't you understand, I can't waste a lot of time here!"_

_Imaginary Hiro growled, "I understand completely. You're the one who doesn't get it. If you really want to save Sophie, you have to go through this. If you want to save your friends and family, you have to know what happened. This isn't an option. Knowledge is power and power is something you really need right now. Everything that's going on reality stemmed from what has happened in the past. You've nearly freed yourself from the Boss' grasp before, you can do it permanently, but only if you be patient and know absolutely everything!"_

_Hiro crossed his arms in annoyance, but muttered under his breath, "I understand."_

_"Good." Imaginary Hiro stated, "Now, let's move on." With that, another memory began to form. _


End file.
